


How to Own an Omega

by Kairosclerosis



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alpha Harry, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Anal Fingering, Arranged Marriage, Begging, Biting, Blowjobs, Claiming, Crying, Dom/sub, Dominant Behavior, Exhibitionism, Fighting, Fingering, Growling, Hickeys, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, M/M Sex, Manhandling, Masturbation, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multiple Orgasms, Omega Draco, Orgasm, Overstimulation, Past Abuse, Possessive Behavior, Public Sex, Rimming, Scent Marking, Scenting, Self-Lubrication, Semi-Public Sex, Sex, Slow Burn, Smut, Violence, group scenting, submissive behavior
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2018-11-03 13:19:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 62,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10968060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kairosclerosis/pseuds/Kairosclerosis
Summary: Draco closed his eyes tightly as he felt yet another servant reposition him, making him face more towards the light and tilting his chin up. He was going to go insane if people kept touching him, running their greasy little hands all over his skin like they owned him.Because they didn't. No one owned him. Not yet.(AKA: Omega Draco is auctioned off to the most eligible Alpha in the land through a mass brawl, in which the last one standing will have the right to mate him. When Harry Potter wins, Draco is thrust into a world he never imagined himself inhabiting...)





	1. The Auction Itself

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! Thanks for reading my first ever a/b/o fic, I'm really excited to write this universe (and especially to write Drarry in this universe). This is a WIP with a planned 15 chapters (and hopefully over 45k words!), and I'm planning on updating either every Monday or every other Monday depending on how crazy life gets. 
> 
> Quick warnings: there are some light discussions of past child abuse in this fic (mostly mentions, nothing graphic). There will be NO non con, which I know is in a lot of a/b/o fics but I just couldn't bring myself to write. Apart from that, there shouldn't be any trigger warnings needed. Smut should start in chapter four. 
> 
> Enjoy, and please remember that I'd really appreciate reviews and comments! I love to hear y'all's thoughts!

Draco closed his eyes tightly as he felt yet another servant reposition him, making him face more towards the light and tilting his chin up. He was going to go insane if people kept touching him, running their greasy little hands all over his skin like they owned him.

Because they didn't. No one owned him. Not yet.

His thoughts were distracted for a moment as he felt someone swipe a smooth line of eyeshadow across his eyelid. Another pair of hands began to brush through his hair and he stiffened, remembering just how many betas there were in the room, watching him. Someone began to unbutton his shirt and his eyes flew open, bright green and furious.

In one swift move Draco grabbed the offending servant by the wrists, growling softly. "You think you can touch me?" he snarled, the smaller blonde cowering under his piercing stare. "Me, the sole heir of the Malfoy estate? And not just touch me. You have the gall to attempt to undress me?" Perhaps it was unfair to take his tensions about the rest of this day out on the man, but Draco didn't care much about the fair factor. As he'd recently learned, life was not fair.

"I'm sorry sir," the servant whimpered, and Draco rolled his eyes. "But it's your father's orders that you be dressed in this by the time you're showed to your guests."

The garment that the man displayed made Draco's jaw drop open. It was pure silver, long sleeves accenting its cinched waist. The hemline was low, scraping the floor, and it opened at the midline to reveal a pair of accessorizing pants.

"That's a dress," the Malfoy heir stated flatly, mentally cursing his father.

Lucius was the bane of Draco's existence. The Alpha had made his life hell since the day Draco had presented. It had been expected that the heir would be another Alpha, but as Draco had been revealed to be an omega... Well, nothing he could do would please Lucius. Not that he wanted to. The demands that had been heaped upon him were ridiculous. Never complain. Always obey the Head of the Household. Dress as if your appearance was the most important thing about you.

Draco just couldn't. He'd been raised to be smart and capable, someone that could take over running the family if Lucius were ever to perish. Why did his omega nature make that any different? There was no way he was going to give in to traditional stereotypes and prove everyone who had said he was useless now right. Draco Malfoy would never be a simple brood mare.

The only person in the world that seemed to think he could make something of himself was his mother, Narcissa Malfoy. She always said that being a wife and a mother didn't make her any less intelligent, so why would it diminish Draco? It sometimes made him feel a bit better. Narcissa had been who he'd always looked up to as a child. She'd seemed powerful, even as an omega. Of course, this admiration diminished somewhat every time Narcissa stood aside while Lucius screamed at him.

It seemed that at every turn his father wanted to remind Draco that he was weak, a failure, and everything that the Malfoy family hated. This dress was simply another way to do that. Especially today.

Today was his Omega Auction.

Draco knew that if Lucius wanted to he could've married him off quietly, to some high bred Alpha that would be completely appropriate. But no, there was no way that any matters considering Draco could be polite and under the radar. Instead he'd decided to be traditional. He'd invited all the eligible Alphas they knew to fight for the right to mate and claim Draco, a truly barbaric idea. Any random person could end up taking him home to be their slut. 

The servants began to undress Draco and this time he let them, knowing they couldn't disobey Lucius' orders. The silver cape-dress had laces in the back that took forever to do up, and the omega began to fidget. He didn't want to go see all the guests. They were all here to watch his humiliation, to be able to experience first hand who the Malfoy heir would be sold to. Whichever Alpha won was bound to be a senseless brute who was probably going to beat him senseless every single time he didn't act submissive. The thought made Draco want to throw up all over the rich emerald pants that a servant was guiding him into.

When they had finally finished the servants gave Draco a mirror and he glanced at his appearance. Light pink eyeshadow dusted his eyelids, complementing the rose gloss smeared across his lips. The servants had pulled his long silver hair back into a braided bun, and it sat nestled attend nape of his neck. Somehow he looked delicate, waifish. He hadn't even know cheekbones could look this sharp. His firm pout and glare destroyed the effect a tad, but the omega couldn't deny he looked exquisite. A perfect prize to be won.

"Put a smile on your face," a cutting voice ordered him, and Draco turned to see Lucius Malfoy looking down at him.

"Father," the omega sneered, crossing his arms. "Don't I look splendid? The perfect piece of meat, just waiting to be sold to the highest bidder."

Lucius slapped Draco so hard that the boy stumbled back a few steps. "You will be polite and submissive until you leave this house with your new alpha," his father hissed. "I don't want to hear any more nonsense about how upset you are. This is an omega's destiny. Fix his makeup," he ordered the servants, and two young betas rushed to cover up the red handprint blooming on Draco's cheek.

"Follow me," Lucius commanded once Draco seemed presentable, and left the room with a swish of his cape. There was nothing the omega could do but force himself to wear a neutral expression and follow his father to the Auction.

As soon as the pair made their entrance, Draco could feel every pair of eyes in the yard fixate on him. There must've been a thousand people there, all dressed in their best finery and staring him down. It would've looked like a regular party, complete with champagne and flowers, if not for the fighting ring set up in the yard. It was an intimidating sight, chairs surrounding what looked like a sand pit encircled with a metal ring, and Draco froze in his tracks. This was where his destiny would be decided.

A soft hand rested on Draco's shoulder and he relaxed into his mother's touch, looking up at her, clearly relieved. "Darling, you should go wish some of your suitors good luck," Narcissa said kindly, and the instructions calmed the omega somewhat. He knew how to charm a crowd. Perhaps he could charm his new husband or wife into being kind to him.

With a small nod Draco stepped forward, smiling graciously at every guest that told him how perfect and delectable he looked. When he reached the side of the fighting pit, the sight of a crowd of "suitors" greeted him. They were all clad in black, looking like they were made of pure testosterone.

There must've been fifty of them, and Draco swallowed nervously. Did he even know anyone here? God, he was going to be given to a total stranger. This was the ultimate punishment.

Thankfully, a familiar face caught his eye, and Blaise Zabini strode to Draco's side. "Ah, my future fiancée," the Alpha joked, grinning widely at his friend. "Let's hope I can save you from this batch, eh? They all look ready to snap you up."

Draco couldn't help but laugh, relaxing in Blaise's presence. He'd known the alpha ever since he was a young child. They'd been introduced at eleven and became best friends. For a while they'd both thought Lucius would consent to a marriage between the pair, but it never happened. "Don't say that too loudly," Draco scolded, "these beasts might get a little possessive and pound you into the ground."

"We're not all beasts." A voice rang out from behind Draco, and Pansy Parkinson joined the pair, clad in a midnight black jumpsuit.

"You're competing?" Draco burst out in surprise, looking up at the Alpha woman. "I thought--you said you weren't going to, Pansy." He'd known her for as long as Blaise, but they had more of a love-hate relationship. It was always fun to be with her though, and it wouldn't be a nightmare to be married to her. Maybe there was a bit more hope.

"Well, I thought I had to," she shrugged, and Draco cocked an eyebrow inquisitively. Pansy looked at Blaise, who shook his head. "You haven't told him?" she gaped, her gaze flickering between the Alpha and the omega several times.

"Told me what?" Draco demanded, his heart beginning to race. "What is it? Tell me now, Pansy, or I swear I'll-"

"Calm down," Blaise hushed him, glancing around. "It's just... Some of the people courting you are rather... Unexpected."

"Like who?"

"Tom Riddle is here," Pansy sighed, placing a hand on Draco's shoulder.

The blond felt like he was going to throw up.

He knew Tom, knew him too well. The things that man had done... It would be absolute hell to be married to him. He was a professional omega trainer, he loved beatings, he would--

Draco didn't realize he was whimpering until Blaise pulled him into a hug. He quickly stopped himself, disgusted at his weak omega instincts. "It'll be fine," the Alpha murmured, patting his back. "He won't win, not against everyone here. There must be someone stronger."

"Right," Draco mumbled, and then pulled away, catching his breath. "Good luck, you two. I'll be rooting for you."

He walked away from his friends with his fists clenched, attempting to calm himself down. It would be utterly humiliating to break down in front of these people he barely knew. It could not happen, Draco would not allow it.

Lost in his thoughts, Draco bumped into someone and stumbled back, almost falling. He was about to snarl at them before he remembered where he was and put a pretty smile on his face. "I'm so sorry," he simpered as he looked up at whoever this was, and then stopped in his tracks.

Dark green eyes looked out at him from underneath a mop of curly black hair, a jagged scar sprawling across dark skin. The Alpha looked just as taken aback as Draco was, but all the omega could focus on was how much bigger the man had gotten, how thick his chest was, how he exuded dominance and strength from every pore. "Harry Potter," he gasped out before he could stop himself, and an easy smile graced the Alpha's face.

"I wasn't sure you'd remember me," the man admitted, and for the first time Draco noticed he was dressed in the all black of a suitor.

"Of course I do," the omega replied haughtily, one hand fluttering above the silver fabric of his dress. "How could I forget?" Harry had gone to school with him when he was younger, before he'd presented. They were arch-nemesises in a way only two children could be, fighting over silly little things. But then Draco had presented, and Lucius had said he must be homeschooled. 

"When I heard about this-" Harry gestured to the monstrosity that was the auction- "well, I couldn't miss out on the chance to see you again. I probably won't win, but I'm glad you're here. You look-"

"Splendid, I know," Draco interrupted, surprised at his own gall, and then forged on. "Like a bitch about to be bred."

Harry gaped at him for a moment and then burst into laughter so loud some of the other guests looked at them. "I forgot how witty you were," he gasped, and then casually patted the top of Draco's head, a move that left the omega reeling. He'd been expecting more of a slap.

Suddenly, a bell rang out, and Harry looked towards the fighting ring. "Oh. Well, I suppose I've got to go fight for your hand. Wish me luck!" And with that he strode away, leaving Draco flabbergasted and not entirely sure what he had been so worried about.

"Good luck," the omega called out quietly to Harry's retreating back, then realized he needed to get to the ring as well, to watch his fate be decided.

Draco found his seat at the top of the ring, next to his mother, and sat down with all the grace he could summon. The crowd of suitors were standing in the ring together, most lining the edges to get a defensive start. Lucius stood next to him and waved a hand for silence once everyone had arrived, grinning a showman's smile.

"Friends," he crowed, "future family. We're here today to find a suitable mate for my son and heir, Draco Malfoy, an omega worth fighting for. The rules are simple. Any Alpha in the ring has a chance of winning my sons hand. To be disqualified, all that has to happen is the Alpha's shoulders touch the ground, as then they will be in a submissive position. And Draco is supposed to be the one submitting here, isn't he?"

There were laughs from the crowd. Draco felt a wave of nausea sweep over him.

"All is fair in love and war, Alphas, and this is both. For now... Let the fighting commence!"

The suitors burst into movement as soon as Lucius announced the beginning of the fight, and Draco leaned forward despite himself. It was chaos in the ring, growling filling the air as each Alpha became more aggressive.

Blaise was the first person Draco could pick out. He was doing a fair job of avoiding the more dangerous Alphas, instead weaving in and out of the fighting to trip up suitors that weren't paying attention. He managed to get two people out just as Draco watched, and one that looked especially vicious. Crabbe something or other, the omega thought.

Pansy was also weaving through the crowd, although her teeth were bared and her eyes were glimmering. She was obviously a force to be reckoned with, as she confronted a large Alpha and took him down with a flash of her nails. Draco had never seen a female Alpha in action, but she inspired terror, as some of the other suitors actually jumped out of her path.

Then, in a flash, Pansy was laying on the ground, gasping for breath as she stared upwards in shock.

Tom. He had taken her down so quickly, so ruthlessly. Pansy was forced to get herself up and hop out of the ring before sitting down on the other side, looking defeated. Draco could barely look for fear of what he'd see, but he managed to glance at Riddle.

The Alpha was looking straight at him, a predatory grin stretched across his face, revealing sharp teeth that made Draco audibly gasp. Narcissa gently put a hand on his, but Draco pulled his away, too angry and terrified at the same time to allow himself the base comforts of his mother's touch. Riddle looked for a moment more before leaping away, closing a hand around Blaise's neck, and Draco cried out softly as his best friend was slammed to the ground. There went his hope.

The omega's throat felt like it was closing up as he watched Alpha after Alpha be eliminated. Some were bleeding, some had broken bones, but the crowd was quickly thinning. All Draco could do was close his eyes and listen to the reactions of the crowd, hoping that when it was over he wouldn't be forced to kneel for Tom. That would truly be hell. But perhaps hell was what Draco was destined for.

"There's only two left, darling," Narcissa said quietly, and Draco couldn't help up but slowly open his eyes.

Harry and Tom were dueling it out in the center of the ring. Tom was no surprise, but the fact that Potter had lasted to the final two made Draco's heart skip a beat. Anything would be better than Riddle, he knew that, but Harry wasn't even something he'd previously considered.

A snarl rippled through the air and Tom lunged for Harry, trying to seize him by the arm. Harry answered with his own growl, eyes alight with fierce rage, and punched Tom in the face. The fighting sped up until Draco could barely tell whose yelps of pain were whose, whose blood was spattering the sand.

And then Tom was on the ground.

It was only for a second, but it was long enough that everyone saw. Riddle leapt to his feet with a snarl, eyes wild, but there were already cheers and clapping coming from the crowd. Draco didn't know if he was going to burst into tears or if he was going to throw up. Nausea seemed to be following him through this day. And then the crowd fell silent, and Draco realized that Harry was walking towards where he sat.

The Alpha was an absolute mess. His hair looked worse than usual, all missed up. Somehow in the struggle his shirt had come off, revealing an overwhelmingly muscled chest that was streaked with blood. His eyes were fixed on Draco, the heat burning the omega even from twenty feet away.

"Go kneel for your new Alpha," Lucius hissed, and Draco froze in his seat.

His new Alpha. Terror gripped him at the words, and he couldn't tear his eyes from Harry. He'd never felt so purely afraid of anyone. He managed to stand and tried to step into the ring, but instead turned and ran as fast as he could, pushing aside guests.

It was dumb, and he knew that. An omega running simply triggered the Alpha instinct to chase. Still, he had to get away, had to at least try to escape the bleak fate that awaited him as a piece of property. Desperate breaths ripped through his chest as he broke free from the crowd and sprinted across the lawn, hearing an Alpha growl ripple from the ring.

There was a thud from behind him and someone shrieked. Draco knew Harry was chasing him but couldn't stop himself, swerved to the side and tried to escape around the left of the house. His legs were pumping quickly, frantically, adrenaline fueling his sprint for freedom.

Draco reached the side of the mansion and scraped against the brick, ignoring the rip of fabric and focusing on making it to the front gate. It couldn't be more than five hundred feet away, he knew that, he could make it.

And then he was being knocked to the ground, a heavy weight covering his entire body and shoving him into the grass.

The omega screamed and thrashed underneath his Alpha's body, scrabbling at the grass and digging his nails into the dirt. It was undignified, and useless, but Draco still threw his body around as much as he could in an attempt to get away.

Strong arms encircled the omega and trapped him as Harry rolled over, sitting up and trapping Draco firmly against his chest. The omega fought him until he exhausted himself and went limp. Then the sobs started, embarrassing tears that Draco couldn't seem to stop, no matter how hard he tried. They wracked his smaller frame, and Harry held him close, pressing his face into the man's neck and scenting him.

Something about the act made Draco cry harder, and Harry shushed him gently, bringing a hand up to smooth back his hair. "It's going to be alright," he murmured, shocking the omega into ceasing his tears. Why wasn't his Alpha currently beating him for daring to run away? Harry continued to reassure him and Draco sat stock still in his arms, overwhelmed by the pure scent of Alpha that was washing over him.

"My life is over," he whispered, and Harry growled, shocking Draco once again. He looked up at the Alpha and his instincts told him to snuggle into that broad chest, to accept Harry's protection and kindness.

Of course, Draco wasn't going to listen to his stupid omega inner voice, so he pushed Harry away, landing on his ass in the dirt. "This is ruined," he said flatly, looking at the torn sleeve of his dress.

"Good thing you have a different outfit for the mating ceremony," an icy voice snapped from behind them, and Draco's shoulders tensed at how angry Lucius sounded. Harry's head snapped towards the other Alpha and before Draco knew it his new mate was helping him to stand up, a firm grip on his arm.

"That won't be necessary," he said in a tone icier than Lucius', and Draco trembled. Then, before he knew what was going on, Harry swept him up into his arms. "We'll do the mating ceremony quickly, and then Draco and I will be leaving."

Draco couldn't look at his father from his position in Harry's arms, so he simply looked at his Alpha's neck.

"Fine," Lucius snapped angrily. "Then get on with it."

Harry smirked and began to carry Draco to where the ceremony was supposed to take place. There was only one clear thought in the omega's head, amongst the conflicting emotions fighting for dominance: would this really be all that bad?


	2. A Carriage Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco begins his journey to a new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This story has gotten so much great attention in the last week (1000 hits and 100+ kudos already?!) that I decided to put out the second chapter a week early. I really appreciate all the great comments and feedback I've gotten, and I'm very excited to delve further into this AU with you readers. For now, enjoy this chapter.

In the end, Draco did end up wearing his mating outfit. His mother insisted, and he never could deny her anything. He and Harry were separated for around an hour while they were both dressed. The space was good, gave him time to remember how much he hated the fact that he was being sold off to an Alpha, even if that Alpha was nicer than Tom Riddle. That wasn't a high bar to pass.

This time around, Draco let himself be dressed with little to no complaints. His ceremonial outfit was beautiful, a step above what he'd been made to wear for the Auction. It was a creamy pink jumpsuit, accompanied with a lacy cape embroidered with delicate flowers. His hair was down too, falling to just under his shoulder line. The vibe the image gave off was feminine, but less so than the earlier dressy contraption. Besides, Draco had never bought into the whole "pink is a girl color" nonsense. He was just as powerful in pink as in black.

The mating ceremony went by quickly, simply a formal signing of some papers in front of all the guests. The most notable thing about it was Harry's outfit: a striking midnight jacket that fell to his knees. It was paired with a matching black ruff with a blue gemstone set in the middle. His high boots and dark pants completed the look. Draco's breath caught in his throat when he saw his soon to be mate looking like the picture of dominance, but he covered it up with a scathing glare.

The papers they had to sign stated that legally they were mated even though there was no mating mark on Draco's neck. Now, Harry had control over everything "his" omega did. The laws were bullshit, but everyone knew they were written by horny Alphas.

After Draco signed, his hand shaking, Harry did. The guests cheered, probably because they were all drunk, and Narcissa pulled her son into a quick hug. Draco savored the chance to hide his face in her shoulder, to inhale her scent one last time before he had to leave. Mint, warm laundry, the wet street after a storm. He had to remember that clean, fresh smell that had been his comfort for his childhood. Who knew when he could smell it again?

All too soon the hug was over and Lucius was there, taking Draco's arm and leading him out of his home, his sanctuary, his only safety. "Father," he choked out, trying to change what had happened even though he knew it was impossible.

"Be an obedient omega," he said, voice steely, and Draco dropped his head in defeat. "I don't want Potter bringing you back here, or any nonsense like that. Curb your idiotic rebellion and learn what it means to grow up. You're an adult now."

"I'm nineteen," the omega snapped, and yanked his arm away from Lucius as they stepped out of the front door, to where the carriage is waiting. "Goodbye, father." The house didn't seem so safe at all anymore.

"Malfoy," a smooth voice interrupted, and a shiver ran down Draco's spine.

"Tom," he said, turning to see the Alpha staring down at him, his gaze both angry and smug. "I'm so sorry, but my Alpha is waiting for me. I hope you find another omega, sir." He smiled and then tried to step away, desperately wanting to get away from the man. A strong hand clamped down on his arm and Draco whimpered, his eyes flashing to the floor and his heart beginning to hammer in his chest.

"Your Alpha got lucky today," that buttery voice crooned, and Draco's stomach began to churn. "But we'll see how long your... partnership lasts. Goodbye for now, Malfoy."

The omega yanked his arm away and turned, bumping into someone and reeling away. God damn, this was not his night. "We really need to stop doing that," a semi-amused voice chided, and Draco looked up to see Harry smiling at him.

"I suppose," he muttered, and then ducked past the Alpha, striding over to where his luggage was being loaded into the carriage. Draco stood facing the dark wood, his hands gripping the light fabric of his cape. He tried to remind himself of how beautiful and strong he was, how Harry Potter would never determine who he was. No Alpha would or could, it wasn't possible.

"Are you alright?" Harry sounded concerned, and Draco dropped his cape, still facing the carriage.

"Fine," he replied, crossing his arms.

"Alright, well... We need to leave soon, or we won't arrive before dark. Is there anyone you want to say goodbye to? Or we can grab anything you've forgot, or get something to eat before our trip? It's several hours."

"No," Draco said shortly, and then he yanked open the carriage himself and climbed into it. He wanted to run again, to get as far away from his father and Tom and Harry as he could, but it would be fruitless. Instead he shoved himself against the window, looking out at his house and ignoring the emotions boiling in his gut.

After a couple more minutes the luggage was all secured. Harry clambered into the carriage, sitting himself down and crossing his legs as he glanced over at Draco. "Are you comfortable?" he asked, and the omega nodded.

The carriage began to move and Draco sucked in a sharp breath as they moved farther from his home. His eyes caught a window and Narcissa was standing there, tears rolling down her cheeks. The blond couldn't help but tear up, one hand coming to lay flat against the window pane. He stared at his mother until the house completely faded from view, and the only thing left was an emptiness deep in his chest.

Silence filled the small carriage and Draco refused to turn towards Harry, having no interest in speaking to him. He wasn't about to strike up a conversation with the man who stole him from his family, no matter how pleasant he seemed. It was only a matter of time before Potter started beating him.

Harry, however, seemed to want to talk to Draco. He kept asking inane questions. The omega refused to give more than one word as an answer, but it didn't seem to defer him at all.

"Are you feeling alright?" (Again.)

"Yes."

"Do you want to stop to eat at an inn?"

"No."

"Have you ever traveled by carriage before?"

"Yes."

Eventually the Alpha lapsed into a bit of a frustrated silence, but Draco couldn't bring himself to feel bad. The minutes ticked by, and turned into hours before long. The carriage was bumpy and not well insulated, so Draco was jostled and, as the sun set, growing cold.

Harry was watching him, and Draco knew that he should go cuddle up to his side. His omega instincts were telling him to, and they were harder to fight than usual. They'd been sitting in here alone, and all the omega could smell was Harry.

It was driving him crazy. The Alpha's scent was so interesting. There was something spicy in it, so rich and full that Draco could taste it on the top of tip of his tongue. Something like comfort too, like a thick blanket around you when you were sick and laying in bed. And then something light and happy, something that reminded Draco of laying in the grass in the midst of summer.

Usually, when you met someone new, you couldn't tell exactly what their scents were. It took a bit to decipher what you were smelling. So instead of focusing on how cold and shaken he was, Draco tried to puzzle out Harry's smell. Was the first bit Cajun? It was drowned out a bit by the happy smell, which was the most dominant. That was a type of plant, but which one?

Draco took a long sniff of the air, eyes closed, and then turned bright red when he heard Harry chuckle. He couldn't believe he'd been so rude, scenting the air so obviously. The omega looked down, ear red, and sat up as straight as he could, attempting to overcome his humiliation.

"It's alright," Harry said, finding the situation funny for some reason. "I like your scent too. It smells..." He paused and scented the air, making Draco's jaw drop. "Hmm. The only clear scent is vanilla, but there's the other ones as well. Something icy and wet, like a cold storm? And I know the other smell, but I don't know from where. It's crisp and yet homey at the same time."

Those comments were such a breach of social rules that Draco didn't have a good response. He just turned back to the window with his mouth open, and tried to regain some of his composure. Did his mate really lack all knowledge of manners?

"What do I smell like?" Harry asked, either not realizing how uncomfortable Draco was or enjoying it. "Something good, hmm?"

"I don't know," Draco muttered. "I can't tell yet. It takes time."

The silence returned to the carriage, although now Harry seemed pleased with himself and Draco felt quite unsettled. The urge to cuddle up to his Alpha returned as the blond started shivering, but he focused on attempting to figure out what the comforting part of Harry's scent was.

Eventually he dozed off, head resting against the vibrating window pane. It seemed like only seconds before Harry was shaking his shoulder, telling him that they had arrived at his home. Draco yawned and climbed out of the carriage, rubbing his eyes and looking around in wonder.

Harry's house was gigantic. It was all dark wood, with literal towers at the corners, arching bridges connecting them. It felt like more of a small castle than a big house, big glass windows scattered amongst the walls, flowers spilling onto the front lawn. The entire place was fenced in by a dense forest, and when Draco turned to glance down the road he saw a gigantic black gate that they must've come through.

"Do you like it?" Harry asked, looking at Draco expectantly, and the omega nodded, beginning to shiver again.

"I have to go to the stables," his Alpha said after a moment, laying a reassuring hand on Draco's arm. "There was a sick foal when I left, and I want to make sure she's better now. You go inside, alright? The footman will bring your luggage to our rooms. Find Mrs. Weasley, she'll feed you and warm you up a bit."

Draco opened his mouth to protest being left alone in this strange place, but Harry had already turned and walked away. The omega huffed and crossed his arms, but after a moment made his way to the front door and knocked. It was an intimidating entrance, at least ten feet tall, with a little iron dog for a door knocker. No one answered, so after a moment Draco knocked again, harder.

As he raised his hand to knock for a third time, it swung open to reveal a short woman with flaming red hair. She wiped her hands on the apron tied around her waist and beamed up at Draco, who was taken aback by how many freckles were spattered across her wide face. "You must be Draco," she smiled, "come in, come in, Harry messaged ahead and told us you'd be hungry. I hope you like cheese pie?"

"That should be fine," he nodded, taking a step inside and looking around in wonder. The entrance was quite grand, with a large black staircase in the center and white marble floors. "Damn," he whispered, and the housekeeper laughed.

"Come now, dear, you look so skinny," she chided, and Draco found himself being led to the left, through a dining room, down a set of stairs, and into a kitchen. "I'm Mrs. Weasley," the woman chirped, "But you can call me Molly.'"

"So you work for Harry?" Draco wondered aloud as he was seated at the kitchen table and looked around the room. He'd never eaten in a servant area before, although he supposed it made sense for their situation. The dining room table had had almost twenty settings, by the looks of it.

"Something like that," Molly smiled, bustling around the kitchen as she spoke. "When Harry was little I took care of him. He grew up, of course, and then my husband died, and he took my children and I in. He pays me much more than I should get, to speak with total veracity, but then again he's always been kind to us. Most of the kids have moved out now, but--"

She was interrupted by a teenage girl bursting into the kitchen, a whirlwind of ginger hair. "Mum," she gasped, "The carriage is home, which means Harry is home, which means he's here, and..." The girl trailed off as she spotted Draco and her eyes went wide. After a moment a grin stretched across her face and she held out a hand for Draco to shake, which he did so, hesitantly.

"Harry has told us so much about you," she exclaimed. "Well, not so much, because he hadn't seen you in a while, but enough that I've been ever so excited to have you here. My name is Ginerva, but please call me Ginny because I don't want to sound like I'm eighty. I'm eighteen, and so now you're the only person close to my age, because Ron is twenty and Harry is twenty and Mum is ages and ages older." Mrs. Weasley frowned at her. "But you're nineteen, right? So you even us all out. You look so beautiful, really, I don't think I've ever seen fabric as fine as this, and your cape... Do you dress like this all the time?"

Draco blinked, overwhelmed by the mass of information she had thrown at him. "I don't... Thank you? And, um, no. This was for our legal mating ceremony."

"Oh, right," Ginny breathed, sitting down at the table. "Harry said that was going to happen. You're an omega, right? I mean, I can smell it on you. Oh, that was rude. I'm sorry! But I'm a beta, and Mum's a beta and Ron's an Alpha, so now we have all three secondary genders here, and that's pretty cool. Our Harry is an Alpha, and he's so nice. You're so lucky to be mated to him, anyone would be. He's smart too, and funny. Are you excited to be here?"

Something about the way that Ginny talked about Harry, with this fawning look in her eyes, made Draco's stomach twist bitterly. Did she not understand that, no matter how much he hated the situation, Harry was his Alpha? It was rude to make advances on someone's mate regardless of the situation. He decided he disliked the girl, and crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes and replying "no."

The ginger blinked, looking taken aback, and an awkward silence fell over the room. Mrs. Weasley sent her daughter a glare and then plopped a thick egg-and-cheese pie down on the table, smiling at Draco. "Do you want to wait for Harry?" she asked, fetching plates and utensils.

The omega was saved from having to answer that awkward question when his Alpha strode into the room, talking with another freckled ginger. This must be Ron, because unlike his sister and his mother he was obviously an Alpha. Draco ducked his head down and away from the two men, staring at his plate.

"Draco," Harry said, surprisingly fondly, and ran a hand across the omega's back. Draco recognized it for what was almost immediately and sat straight up, turning to glare at his mate. It wasn't appropriate to scent mark someone in public--although he couldn't deny that he relaxed, breathing in the spicy comfort of the smell. "This is Ron," the Alpha continued nonchalantly, as if he hadn't just been embarrassingly forward.

"Hey," the tall man nodded, and Draco dipped his head in response, still disgusted by the way Harry had just acted. "If you need anything you can come to me, alright? I'm Harry's right hand man around here--which means being an over glorified butler." The two men laughed at that, and Draco couldn't help but smile a little.

"We were about to eat," Mrs. Weasley announced, gesturing to the pie sat on the table. "Are you two going to join us?"

"I'm ravenous," Harry nodded, and sat down at the head of the table, right to Draco's left. The omega kept his gaze pointed at the table and waited for everyone else to be seated, feeling a tad out of place. Mrs. Weasley served him a heaping slice of pie, and once everyone else was served they began to eat.

It was unlike any dinner Draco had participated in before. There was only one course, of which he had three servings of, and there was no polite conversation. In fact, the conversation was anything but polite. It was loud, and teasing, and Ron and Harry and Ginny had a habit of bursting into raucous laughter every three seconds. Usual decorum seemed to have been thrown out the window, and it was obvious that although Harry may have been rich, he hadn't been raised as a high society member.

It was slightly liberating, although instead of actually saying anything Draco simply kept eating egg-and-cheese pie. There was some sort of leafy green lining the bottom, and the crust was delightfully crispy. Perhaps Mrs. Weasley would keep making dishes like this, he mused, and then thought better of it. He'd get fat if he kept eating this way.

When dinner was done, champagne and treacle tart was set out, and Harry announced a toast to Draco. The omega blushed at the attention but grinned, drinking down his share. He was focusing on trying to ignore the way his heart sped up as the clock ticked towards midnight. He knew what happened at night when a couple was first mated.

Once Ron was drunk, Ginny tipsy, and Draco a bit light-headed, Molly shooed them out of the kitchen. "I'm the one cleaning up this mess," she fussed, "and you all need to get to bed. It isn't proper for teenagers to be up this late, not at all. Oh my," she exclaimed, as Ron had just thrown up on the floor, something that drew another round of laughter from Harry and Ginny.

Before Draco knew it Harry was leading him upstairs, through winding staircase after winding staircase. Their rooms turned out to be in one of the towers, at the very top. "Here's my humble abode," Harry announced as he flung open the door, a small smile still lingering on his face.

It was a very nice room, with a huge white rug and oak furniture. The bed was the biggest aspect, right in the middle, and the sight made Draco stop in his tracks.

"I'm not going to present for you," he said before he could stop himself, his voice venomous.

"What?" Harry asked dumbly, also stopping in his tracks and looking at the omega.

"I am not going to let you fuck me," Draco hissed, crossing his arms. "I know that's what we're supposed to do now, but if you want to have sex you're going to have to rape me. I'm not about to spread my legs for you when you're the man who stole me from my home and expected me to like it. I barely know you. But you own me now, so if you're that kind of guy I guess you can try to pin me down and--"

"Jesus Christ," Harry interrupted, looking horrified. "I'm not going to rape you, Draco. I would never even--not unless you wanted me to. Please, believe me when I say that I won't so much as kiss you until you tell me it's alright."

The words calmed Draco down a bit and he nodded slowly, looking at Harry. "So where am I to sleep, then?"

"With me," Harry replied, as if it were obvious. "We don't have to have sex, but you do have to sleep with me, alright? It'll help us get a bit closer."

Draco huffed but acquiesced, knowing that he was lucky not to be forced to do anything he didn't want to. "Fine," he said, and dug through the armoire until he found where the footman had packed away his clothing. He ducked into the bathroom connected to Harry's room and changed into silk pajamas. Then, he washed off his makeup and brushed his hair. After a moment of staring into the mirror and collecting himself he exited the bathroom.

Harry was shirtless, waiting for him in bed. "Come on now," he beckoned, and Draco could do nothing but go to his Alpha's waiting arms. The bed was warm, and the omega was more tired than he'd thought. When he climbed in he laid down a foot away from Harry, only to be pulled into his broad chest and trapped by iron arms.

"Goodnight, Draco," his Alpha murmured, and the omega didn't respond, sleep coming too quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to both new and "old" readers (if you read this chapter last week). Leave comments and kudos if you liked this, it definitely makes me write faster ;) and expect an update next Monday.
> 
> If you're interested, here's some more information on scenting in this AU:
> 
> Traditionally, everyone has three scents. One is an herb or spice, one is an object, and one is something found in nature. The way people interpret scents can be different, but usually after living with someone for a while you can figure out what their scent is.  
> Scenting vs. scent marking: Scenting is smelling the air, while scent marking is purposely touching someone to make them smell like you. They're both considered rude in highborn society, but scent marking is more acceptable between mates. If someone is marked by an individual who isn't their mate, it can cause considerable distress.  
> Out of curiosity, can anyone guess Harry and Draco's scents? I'll tell you if you're right! 
> 
> Outfits in this chapter: 
> 
> Draco's ceremonial outfit: https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1RhvoPpXXXXbxXXXXq6xXFXXXd/Lovly-Pink-Stretch-Chiffon-jumpsuit-dress-with-cape-font-b-Bridal-b-font-font-b-pant.jpg
> 
> Harry's ceremonial outfit: https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1yvujMVXXXXaVXFXXq6xXFXXXM/Elegant-Gothic-Aristocrat-Black-Grey-Tweed-Trench-Long-Frock-Coat-for-Man-.jpg
> 
> Inspo for Draco's hair:  
> http://www.mens-hairstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Men-Blonde-Long-Hair.jpg


	3. The First Full Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco begins to learn more about his new home and its inhabitants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry that the chapter update this week is a day late. I really wanted to get it up yesterday, but things got crazy over the weekend and I just wasn't able to.
> 
> As a result, the majority of the chapter was written today, and it hasn't really been throughly edited, so I apologize for any blaring grammar or phrasing mistakes--I really am trying, I promise! 
> 
> I hope you guys like this chapter, even though it's a bit of a wild ride :) thanks for reading!

Draco woke up with a very sore neck and several cricks in his back. He took his time opening his eyes, first stretching out each of his tight muscles and then shifting around in the warm blankets. There was a blissful moment where he wondered what the cook had made for breakfast--it smelled delicious, whatever it was--and then reality came crashing down all at once. 

He sat straight up, eyes flying open, and was greeted by the dismal sight of a strange bedroom. Without warning, tears welled up in his eyes, the shock and disappointment overwhelming him. Draco shook his head, trying to pull himself together. It was alright, he was just in Harry's bedroom, it--

Harry's bedroom. 

Where was Harry?

The omega part of Draco panicked for a second as he twisted and turned on the bed, looking for his Alpha and mate. Of course, a second later he froze, disgusted at the way he was responding to Harry's absence. It wasn't a big deal if he wasn't there. Draco was a completely independent omega who didn't need to be babysat. 

After a second he sighed and sat up, running a hand through his sleep-tousled hair. God, it was going to take forever to get these knots out. With a yawn, he stood, stretching his arms put behind him and then padding over to the armoire where his clothes had been put the night before. When he pulled open the top drawer a dismal sight met his eyes. 

All of his garments were completely wrinkled, thrown into the cabinet like the footman couldn't have cared less. The delicate silk of his everyday clothes was mangled, perhaps beyond repair. Draco growled under his breath and slammed the drawer shut as hard as he could, overcome with frustration. Why did these things always have to happen to him? It was like some higher power was completely set on making his life as miserable as possible. 

After a second of stewing in his own anger, Draco slowly opened the drawer again, and resolved to find something wearable. It wasn't an absolute disaster, he tried to tell himself, sorting through tousled shirt after rumpled trousers. He managed to find a light blue smock that was mostly salvageable, and black pants embroidered with gold flowers that hadn't been smashed. 

It wasn't quite as delectable as Draco would've liked to look, especially on his first day in his new home, but he would just have to be suffer through it. The omega brought his clothes to the bathroom and changed swiftly, folding his pajamas and laying them in the bottom drawer of the armoire. After that, it only took twenty or so minutes to brush out the knots in his hair and to wrestle it into a half-decent looking braid. He could've taken more time on his makeup, but elected to just swipe on some mascara, not caring much if Harry didn't like how he looked. He'd been the one dumb enough to enter the auction. 

When he was finished getting dressed Draco stood in the room for a second, trying to come up with more reasons not to face the morning. He could spend the entire morning in here grooming himself, and some omegas did do that, but he found the process arduous. Instead, he took a deep breath and opened the door, determined to be brave and face his second day in this strange new home. 

There was still that delectable smell wafting from downstairs, something thick and sweet, so delicious that Draco's mouth watered. The omega made his way to the top of the stairs and then furtively glanced around him, making sure none of the Weasleys were around. Once the coast was definitely clear he swung his legs up onto the banister and pushed off, sliding down the railing with a giant grin on his face. 

Once, when he was much smaller, he'd slid down the railing at Malfoy Manor. Lucius had caught him and delivered him a stinging slap, once that had wounded his pride more than his skin. This was the first time he'd tried riding a banister since then, and as he sped down and around a certain sense of freedom came over the omega. 

The bottom floor was quickly approaching, and Draco realized he may have picked up more speed than originally intended. When the railing ended he simply flew off, landing roughly on his ass. It stung, but after a moment he laughed out loud and got up, brushing himself off. It had been worth it. 

When he turned, Ginny was standing there, a small smile on her face. Draco's heart dropped in his chest and he immidiately stiffened, mentally scrambling for a way to convince her not to tell Harry. He didn't want to get punished so early in their mating. But the girl simply laughed and patted his shoulder. "You okay?" She grinned, and when Draco nodded slowly she continued, "don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you actually have a fun side. Your secret is safe with me." The omega relaxed, so much so as to let the beta actually take his hand and lead him to the left. "Mum made pancakes," she chirped. "Harry's already eating."

Sure enough, when they rounded the corner, Harry and Ron were already laughing together, over large stacks of fluffy pastry. Draco yanked his hand away from Ginny before either of them could see and stood in the doorway awkwardly, not sure where he was supposed to sit. 

"Draco!" Harry called out, and the omega looked up, cheeks flushing for some unknown reason. "Come here, come sit with me. Sorry for not waking you, I just wasn't sure how long you'd want to sleep, and I was starving."

"It's fine," Draco mumbled as he made his way to Harry's side. Mrs. Weasley seemed to appear as soon as he sat, foisting a large stack of pancakes onto him and clucking about how skinny he was. The omega dug in, trying not to seem rude. 

"How did you sleep?" Harry asked eagerly, surprising Draco. Why was his Alpha so interested in his general wellbeing? A sudden waves of nerves washed over the omega, and he swallowed quickly, trying to keep himself from freaking out. 

But, alas, Draco had little to no control, and as soon as he swallowed his food words began to spew out of his mouth, as they always did when he got nervous. "I slept perfectly fine," he began, "but when I woke I wasn't really happy. Because I found out that your idiot footman treated my belongings with complete and utter disrespect. He just threw my clothing all over the place, and shoved them into the armoire where they got all wrinkled, and then didn't even care to fold them. You really need to get some better help."

"Colin tries his best," Harry said, eyes narrowing a bit. Draco recognized the signs of an Alpha becoming annoyed and it wracked his nerves up even more, making the omega blabber faster. 

"Well maybe he needs more control around here," he pointed out, his hands clenching into tight fists under the table. "I mean, you're the Alpha, right? So you could stop him being completely incompetent if you wanted to. But maybe you don't want to. I guess thats your own choice. Ron is an Alpha too, so he could always take control. I don't think he'd challenge you, though. You're not much of an Alpha, are you?"

Harry snarled and stood up, slamming a hand on the table. "Enough, Draco," he said, and the tone made the omega's blood go cold. "I understand this is hard for you, but you can't insult my family, much less my dominance. You're overstepping your boundaries."

Before he knew it Draco had stood up, heart racing. "Of course," he blurted out, and then bolted from the room. God, what was that? He'd completely made a fool of himself, all in the span of two minutes. Was Harry's interest in him really that off putting? 

"You scared him," Mrs. Weasley scolded from the other room, and Draco turned, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth, before he was greeted by none other than Ginny Weasley.

"You again?" He exclaimed, and the girl laughed, tossing back her head of red hair. 

"Yeah, me," she smirked, and then grabbed Draco's elbow. "Let's go on a walk, alright? I think maybe you need a bit of fresh air." The omega sighed but let himself be tugged along. Maybe a walk would do him good, calm his still racing heart. 

It turned out that that was exactly what he needed. After just a few minutes of strolling in the morning dew, Draco's heart rate had dropped dramatically, and he was actually making some pleasant conversation with the Weasley girl. Turns out, she wasn't as horrible as he'd originally thought. 

"So you've lived here your entire life?" Draco kicked at the stones of the garden path, looking around at all the flower beds surrounding them. "Who takes care of all the grounds? They're really beautiful, but I haven't seen any gardener or anything around here."

"Oh, well, Mom and I do a lot of it," the ginger chirped. "But Colin helps too. He lives in the local village, which is about a half hour away by carriage, an hour and a half if you're walking. He comes here every weekend and helps out around the house and grounds, and sometimes during the week if Harry needs a driver."

"You do all of this?" Draco asked, looking around at the trimmings and hedges. "I never could. At Malfoy Manor, we have a whole gardening staff. They're really good, they work so hard. But I guess if we had you and your mom we wouldn't have to pay five people." 

"Your life sounds like it was so amazing before you came here," Ginny hummed, hanging off of Draco's elbow. "Aren't omegas really pampered in high society? I mean, we live well, of course, but nothing like your family. And Harry always helps with the chores around the house, so it's not like we need a giant group of servants." 

Harry helped with the chores? That wasn't very characteristic of an Alpha. "To be honest, high society wasn't that great," Draco sighed, slowing down and plucking a pink geranium off of a bush. Ginny tucked it behind his ear, and they continued on their way. "Omegas are considered special, but only if they're perfectly submissive in every way."

"I don't want to sound rude, but don't omegas like being submissive?" Ginny was obviously treading carefully, and Draco felt kind of bad. He had been quite rude to her the night before, hadn't he? 

"I guess," he mumbled, looking down. "But... There's something wrong with me, I suppose. I..." Before he knew it, he was tearing up, and Ginny guided him to sit beneath a large tree, on the soft grass. "It just scares me," he admitted, and the realization shook his core. Draco wasn't really angry at Harry, or upset at him. "Anything could happen to me here," he whispered, looking down. "There's no one to protect me from anything he does."

"Harry isn't going to do anything bad to you," Ginny said indignantly, slapping Draco's arm. The omega jerked back in shock, never having been touched so casually by an almost-stranger. "Do you even know who he is? I mean, obviously not, because you've been doing everything in your power to piss him off every single time you two see each other. He's kind, and he's intelligent, and--"

"And he's mine," Draco snarled, and then slapped his hands over his mouth, completely aghast that he would say something like that. Fuck. He hadn't meant to be so rude again, but every single time Ginny started spewing compliments about Harry his blood pressure started to rise. 

The ginger stared at him blankly for a moment and then burst into laugher, crossing her arms and delighting in Draco's completely possessive, omega response to her comments. "So I guess you don't really hate him," she said, and then, mercifully, dropped the subject. 

"Let's go to the stables," she declared after a second, and Draco sighed, but let himself be hoisted off the ground. "We have a new foal, you should see her."

Although the last thing he wanted to do was traipse along in a dirty stable, Draco figured he owed it to Ginny to at least play along after snarling at her. The way to the horses was a long, winding path that brought the pair beside a small pond. Secretly, the omega tucked the location away and resolved to visit it later. 

When they did finally make it to the stables, Ginny revealed the tiniest black horse Draco had ever seen in his life. "I love her," he gasped, and immediately ran his hands through her tangled mane. For some reason, being around Ginny was making him drop his guard. He'd never revealed so much about himself to someone, much less someone he'd just met a day ago. Perhaps it was because Ginny was the first friend he'd had that wouldn't possibly one day be betrothed to him. 

Oh, God. They were friends now? Draco was really lowering his standards. 

"Can you ride?" the beta asked, peering over his shoulder. "Maybe when she gets bigger you can try her out."

"No, I never learned," Draco said, somewhat sadly. 

"I could teach you," a deeper voice suggested, and the omega spun around to see Harry watching them, the Alpha smiling softly. 

"No," Draco immediately spat, and the smile dropped off Harry's face. "Someone else can teach me."

"You don't have to be so rude all of the time," Harry retorted angrily, crossing his arms. 

"Or what?" Draco hissed, unaware that he was quickly getting louder and louder. "You'll hit me? Lock me in a closet?"

"Of course not," his Alpha yelled, hands balled into fists at his sides. "Why are you such an arse to me? What have I done except been kind and reasonable?"

"Everything," Draco hollered, and then stormed out of the stables, face red. Ginny was shouting something at Harry behind him, but he couldn't find it in him to care enough to listen. 

All the omega could see was red. He'd been having a perfectly fine time, and then Harry had to inject himself into the conversation. Like he was supposed to be there or something. Like he knew Draco, or truly cared about his feelings at all. They both knew that all Alphas cared about was popping a knot in whatever omega they could grab. 

Except... Harry hadn't seemed that way so far. He'd held Draco after the Auction, and admittedly seemed to be making an effort to be nice. He hadn't even consummated their mating yet, which had been... unexpected. 

Maybe Draco was the one being too harsh. He tried to sort through his thoughts as he walked back to the house but couldn't seem to tell wrong from right anymore. He knew it was wrong to be owned by someone, but wasn't sure if Harry was trying to own him at all. Everything was all screwy, and it didn't make sense. 

Draco arrived at the front doors and didn't bother knocking, just flung them open and strode inside. As he did so, he heard a little "fuck", and saw that he'd almost hit Ron in the face with the door. 

"Shit," he mumbled, stepping back and looking at the floor, senses on high alert. Ron was a strange Alpha who he'd only ever seen once, and he'd almost just physically injured him. This was the type of crap that got you seriously punished. 

"Hey, it's okay," the man spoke, reaching out and casually patting Draco's shoulder. Were all the Weasleys so comfortable with physical contact? "You alright there? You seem a bit... riled up." 

Draco supposed with his flushed cheeks and messy hair he probably did look rather messy, but he just nodded, keeping his eyes trained on the ground. "Alright," Ron said slowly, withdrawing his hand. "Is there anything I can do for you? Show you around, maybe?"

The omega hesitated, shifting from foot to foot, and finally looked up. There was really only one place he wanted to be right now, but it wasn't exactly always allowed by Alphas. Oh well, it couldn't hurt to ask. 

"Do you have a library?" He finally said, tilting his head to the side as he did so. 

Five minutes later Ron had shown Draco to the biggest library he'd ever seen. From what he remembered, Malfoy Manor had a pretty big collection of books, but as soon as he'd presented he wasn't allowed to touch them anymore. "Omegas should be pretty and cultured, but not taught," Lucius had sneered when he'd caught Draco with a book on sciences. Ever since then, the only books he'd been able to read were ones on truly inane subjects, things like sewing and cooking. 

But here, here there were thousands of books, ones that Draco could see himself getting lost in for hours and hours and hours. Ron left, probably not wanting to be alone with Harry's omega for too long, but Draco couldn't care less. He began to scan shelf after shelf, picking up anything that caught his interest. 

Studies of Important Political Figures Throughout Russian Tsardom, by Richard Taft. The Science and Chemistry of Volcanos, by Alison Tranton. Thirteen Encyclopedias of Knowledge, each heavier than the rest. Draco amassed a veritable pile of books, and he began to place them all next to a cozy-looking window nook. Before he knew it, the omega had found a blanket and was cuddled up behind a wall of tomes, a view of the grounds on one side and solid knowledge on the other. It was really comforting, to be secluded where no one could see him. 

He must've spent hours there, just reading and reading. The sun began to droop in the sky, and the haze of twilight draped over the grounds like a blanket. Draco was securely nestled into his little corner, safe from all disturbances and feeling drowsy and warm. 

"Hey," a soft voice said, interrupting him just as he was reaching the climax of a book about pirates. 

"Hi," the omega replied, too surprised to say anything else when he saw Harry peering over the top of a stack of books. 

"Can I come in?" the Alpha requested, looking around at his little fort, and Draco begrudgingly nodded. He was much too blissed out and relaxed to be grumpy. It took Harry a bit to move aside a stack of books to make room, and when he did he sat down next to Draco's feet, which were propped up next to the window.

Harry took a deep breath, and then said "I feel like we've gotten off on the wrong foot. I don't want you to be mad at me, Draco. I know that this is really scary for you, but... It's scary for me too."

The omega tilted his head to the side curiously. "You're not the one who's expected to mate someone he barely knows," he pointed out, with less venom than usual behind his words. 

"Yeah I am," the Alpha chuckled, and with a jolt Draco realized that yeah, he was. Harry was just as obligated to mate him as he was to mate Harry. Oh. 

"Listen," Harry forged on. "I went to the Auction because of how I remembered you. When we were kids you were always so full of energy, even if that energy was spent making my life hell at recess. I thought that this place could use some of that energy. Hell, I could use some of it. Living here isn't exactly the most exciting thing. I thought that we could have a real relationship. I didn't just fight because I wanted to mate you, and I didn't fight to have some submissive omega who would never challenge me. I want you as a person, not as an object."

Draco's brain had short circuited. As a person? It seemed so unexpected, and yet completely obvious at the same time. Of course. 

"It's hard to believe that," he choked out after a moment, wiping his eyes swiftly with his sleeve. "But it's nice to hear."

"Please try to believe me," Harry murmured, reaching out and gently running his thumb across Draco's cheek. "I want this to work. And even if it doesn't, if you decide you don't want me as a mate, you can still stay here. We're legally mated, so you don't have to go to some other Alpha."

Those words took a weight off Draco's chest, one that had been there for a long time. He didn't have to please Harry just to be safe, not through sex or obedience. His Alpha was offering safety just--just because he thought Draco deserved it. 

Before he knew what he was doing, Draco leaned forward and gently kissed the other man. It was soft, but also quick, because as soon as he did so he gasped and jerked away. 

"What's wrong?" Harry asked quickly, and the omega scrambled away, pressing himself up against the wall. There was no mistaking that rush of burn to his stomach, the sudden cramps that were forcing him to double over and cry out. His Alpha was worried, calling his name, but all the omega could focus on was keeping his lucidity. 

His heat was starting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do anyone notice that Draco was nesting the whole afternoon...? In this AU, nesting is usual behavior before heats, although sometimes it doesn't happen if a heat is unexpectedly triggered. Heats can be triggered by shows of dominance, an unusually long period without the omega being attracted to anyone, or the continued presence of a new Alpha in the omega's life (one that the omega recognizes as a mate). It's also preludes by some emotional instability, which explains some of Draco's confusion and reactions to Harry. 
> 
> Next chapter will obviously be where the smut begins. I'm very firm that there will be no noncon or dubcon in this fic, so please don't worry that Harry will take advantage of Draco in any way. I'm excited to write it!!
> 
> Comments and kudos always make me super happy, so please leave some! Thank you to everyone for reading and sticking with this fic so far!


	4. Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco's heat begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh hello!! I'm so sorry for missing a week of posting, but last week was finals and I didn't have time to study and wrote. On the bright side, school is out for the summer now, so I can hopefully post every week on time! Thank you all for waiting!
> 
> Quick warning: smut starts this chapter, so don't read if you're uncomfortable with that! 
> 
> I hope yall are still liking this story! I'm planning on re-doing my storyboard for the last few chapters because I've had a few new plot ideas, so it may become longer in the future. For now, just enjoy the new chapter!

One thing that every omega knew to fear was their heat. Heats were volatile and could spring up at any moment. If an omega went too long without being near an Alpha, or an Alpha acted unusually dominant, one could start with almost no warning. Draco writhed and grimaced as he cursed whatever God had decided that heats were also triggered by prolonged exposure to a new Alpha, aka a potential mate. His stupid body was recognizing Harry as his new mate and trying to force them to bond. 

"Are you alright?" Harry asked worriedly, reaching out to Draco. The omega hissed at him, and he yanked his hands away as if he had been burned, frowning. "I'll get Mrs. Weasley," he said quickly, and hurried out of the room. 

Draco wailed once Harry had left the library, muffling the sound by covering his mouth. Everything hurt so badly, he was cramping up and slowly but surely starting to get hotter and hotter. He was completely reasonable now, but it was only a matter of time before he started begging for Harry's knot, and then he would lose every shred of dignity he had. Fuck, fuck, fuck. 

Mrs. Weasley rushed back into the room and Draco reflexively hissed at her, then immediately said "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," ducking his head and trying to get a hold of himself. Harry seemed even more concerned as his omega let out a quiet cry and clutched his stomach, and stood back so Molly could go to Draco's side. 

"Oh, child," the woman said quietly as she made her way through the books and sat down next to the omega. "It's coming on quickly, then?"

Draco nodded and Harry looked around, bewildered. "What is? What's coming on quickly? Is he alright, Mrs. Weasley? I can call a doctor, if there's medicine he needs..." The Alpha continued to blabber on and Draco felt tears well up in his eyes. They didn't know each other well enough for this, it wasn't supposed to happen so quickly. 

"Do not fuck me," he said suddenly, his words cutting through Harry's ramblings and stopping the man short. "Do not bond me. You can touch, and do whatever you feel is necessary to alleviate this, but do not fuck or bond me. I am not allowing you to do that."

"I--alright," Harry blinked, looking at Mrs. Weasley. "But I don't understand, Draco. Can someone please explain to me what's going on?"

"He's going into heat," the matronly woman said wearily, as another round of cramps wracked Draco's body. 

Harry stood stock still for a moment, simply taking that information in and processing what it mean. Then, before Draco knew what was happening, he had been swept into the Alpha's arms and was being carried out of the library. He let out a weak cry but didn't fight Harry, and couldn't deny that the way the Alpha's scent washed over him made the pain in his stomach subside, even if just a little. "Where are we going?" he whispered, and hated how vulnerable he sounded. 

"My rooms," Harry said firmly, his strong arms holding Draco close to his chest. "Although I didn't recognize the beginning of your heat, I do know the symptoms. When I presented, Molly sat me down and gave me a strict lecture on how to treat an omega in heat. As I'm sure you know, I'd rather die than face the wrath of a Weasley, so we're going to follow those instructions."

Draco's head became a bit fuzzy and he took a deep breath, not even hiding how he was basically scenting Harry. "What are the instructions?" he asked once his head was clearer. Somehow they'd already reached the bottom of the stairs, and Harry was climbing them quickly, his long legs stepping over two or three steps at a time. 

"Well, first we're going to get your temperature down so you can relax a bit. You're burning up in my arms already, which means this may be a bit intense. And then we'll work through the urges you'll get, and make sure you stay hydrated. It won't trigger a rut," he reassured the omega, "I've just had mine last month." 

Thank god. Alphas had more uniform schedules than omegas when it came to their ruts, they had them every six months. Of course, Alphas could be triggered by heats, but not if they'd already had a rut less than three months ago. Draco didn't think he could take it if Harry went into rut right now, he definitely wouldn't be able to restrain himself from fucking the omega. 

Not that Draco thought Harry was really going to. Why would an Alpha pass up the chance to knot a bitch in heat? Draco was probably going to be begging for it soon anyways, so it wasn't like Harry would be without an excuse. It was probable that before the night was over, the omega will have been fucked into the mattress several times. 

The world went hazy again, and before Draco knew it he was sprawled out across Harry's bed, clutching at the sheets and trying to catch his breath. He was really starting to get hot, sweat beading up on his forehead and dripping down his face. His stomach cramped again and he cried out weakly, reflexively curling up into a ball. He stayed like that for a few seconds, and then cool hands were dancing across his forehead and tugging his shirt off. 

"Harry," Draco said, trying to express something just out of his grasp, but the Alpha simply shushed him and began to draw a wet washcloth over his skin. The sensation was heavenly. Draco let his limbs go limp and his eyes flutter closed as he just enjoyed the cool water chasing away some of his discomfort. Harry's scent was so thick, filling the room. Draco couldn't get enough of it, and as he was washed off his cramps began to subside. 

Unfortunately, they were replaced by something even worse. As the pain in his abdomen vanished, an emptiness replaced it, gnawing at his insides. Harry drew the washcloth over Draco's stomach and, rather embarrassingly, slick gushed out of his asshole, wetting his pants and the sheets below him. The omega whimpered, humiliated, but Harry didn't comment or tease him. Instead, he stood and took the washcloth with him, going to the bathroom to wet it again. 

Draco couldn't stop himself from writhing on the bed, trying not to give in to the urge to touch himself. He felt so empty down there, so empty and wet. He needed something to fill him up, to stuff his hole, to--

No. He was Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, and he was not some weakling that would be ruled by his biology. The omega growled, frustrated with himself, and sat up. When Harry came back, Draco was sitting propped up against the headboard, his head buried between his knees and his hands clenched into tight fists. "It'll just get worse if you resist it," the Alpha pointed out, sitting down next to the omega. "Who's helped you through your other heats?"

"No one," Draco spat, glaring at Harry. His eyes were filled with tears, although he himself wasn't even aware of it. "I was put in my room and the door was locked so I wouldn't tempt any Alphas. So I know what to expect, thank you very much." Those times had been the worst, when he was left with just his fingers and, if he was lucky, a hairbrush. Heats only lasted a day or two with an Alpha, but his had sometimes lasted a full week. The only human contact he'd have the whole time was his mother bringing food, and he'd have a beating from his father to look forward to when it was over. 

Harry growled, and the sound startled Draco into scrambling away and almost falling off of the side of the bed. "They left you," he said, his words tight and strangled. "Alone. I swear, if I ever see Lucius Malfoy again..." The Alpha caught the sight of Draco cowering on the other side of the bed and wilted somewhat, holding his hands out to him. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. It just makes me angry, that's all. I'll be here the whole time, I promise." 

Draco considered that and cautiously took Harry's hands, letting himself be pulled back to the other side of the bed. The sudden proximity to Alpha, the scent and dominance washing over him, made the emptiness inside him extremely obvious. "Fuck," he said quietly, wriggling on the bed and finally moving to take off his pants. Harry reached out to help and the omega hissed, not ready to be touched yet. "Stay on your side of the bed," Draco ordered, moving away a few feet before finishing taking off his pants and underwear. 

God, this was humiliating. The omega couldn't look at Harry as he closed his eyes and pushed a finger into his hole, biting his lip at the momentary satisfaction. Slick gushed out of him at the intrusion and he moaned, rocking back on his finger before slipping another in. "Draco," Harry said, sounding choked, but the omega ignored him and began to finger himself open. Two fingers was nothing in this state, not even enough to make him feel stretched. Draco pushed in another and moaned again, falling back against the headboard. 

It quickly became insufficient. Draco focused on the in-and-out motion of his fingers, stretching his tight muscles and jabbing against his prostate. The heat haze began to settle over him and soon all he could focus on was his fingers, making them fuck him faster, harder. It wasn't enough. It was never enough. 

His fingers were too small. The only thing in the world was the emptiness in his stomach, the sweet smell of his slick, the hardness of his cock. Hopelessness overcame the omega as he fucked himself frantically and he began to sob, forgetting where he was and what was happening. There was just the knowledge that he was alone. A failure of an omega. Not good enough, never good enough, never loved, and now he had to suffer through this. 

Something reached him through the haze, something spicy and thick. It was the scent of arousal, filling the room. Even just that comforted the omega and he managed to take several deep breaths, even as his fingers plunged in and out of his sloppy hole. His heat-addled mind took several seconds to recognize what the scent mean, until it finally clicked. Alpha. There was an Alpha here, with him. 

He opened his eyes and sure enough, there was an Alpha there, naked, just watching him and stroking his hard cock. Oh, God, Alpha cock. He needed that so badly. The omega pulled his fingers out of himself with a squelching sound and began to crawl towards the Alpha, his eyes dark with need. "Please, Alpha," he begged as he came closer, crawling into the man's lap and licking at his cock. "Fuck me, I need it, I need you, need Alpha, please, please,"

His ramblings were interrupted by the Alpha pulling him up and kissing him ferociously, one hand tangled in his hair as his mouth came crashing down on the omega's. "Draco," the Alpha groaned, "God, Draco. You look so fucking amazing, so wet, just for me." 

"Fuck me," the omega begged, not exactly following the Alpha's words. "Fuck me, knot me." He tried to press up against the stronger man, nuzzling into his neck and licking over his scent gland. He needed his knot so bad, needed a dick in his ass already, needed to be pinned down and fucked until he couldn't remember where or who he was. Not that he really remembered that right now. 

"No, darling, I can't," the Alpha murmured, and the omega went stock still in his arms. Rejection washed over him in one strong wave, and he began to cry brokenly, struggling to get away from the other man. He wasn't good enough, yet again. The Alpha was going to abandon him here to suffer alone, just like everyone else had. The thought was too much, and when the strong arms released him all the omega could do was slump down on the sheets and continue to cry. 

"Hey, hey," the Alpha said, clearly worried for some unknown reason. "Draco, come here. I'm not going to have sex with you, but--I can finger you, if you'd like. Please don't cry, come here, at least let me hold you." The words soothed some of the sting of rejection, and the omega sniffed and looked back up. He would've kept crying over the loss of a knot, but the emptiness in his stomach was back, and he knew anything would feel good inside of him. 

He crawled back over slowly, and let the Alpha pull him close. The man arranged them so they were chest to chest, the omega's head resting on his shoulder, their cocks lined up next to each other. "I'm going to finger you now," the Alpha said lowly, and the omega couldn't help but moan at the words. The tip of one finger began to circle his hole and the omega whimpered impatiently, just wanting to be filled already. 

The Alpha didn't disappoint, quickly pushing one finger into the omega's soft heat and beginning to pump it in and out. His finger was so much thicker, so much bigger and more fulfilling. Spikes of pleasure began to travel up the omega's spine and he moaned, rocking back on the finger. "More," he begged, and the Alpha obliged, sliding another finger in beside the other. "More," he demanded again, and the Alpha chuckled but worked a third finger into his hole, aided by the almost constant gush of slick. 

The omega gasped and began to fuck himself on the Alpha's fingers as hard as he could, some of the haze of the heat abiding as he slammed his hips up and down. "Alpha," he moaned, his nails digging into where he gripped the man's shoulders. "Yes, please, Alpha." It was so good to finally have someone to help him through this, to feel wanted and taken care of. 

"Say my name," the Alpha growled, gripping the omega's waist firmly and beginning to thrust his fingers faster, almost viciously. "My name, Draco." The omega blanched, his head lolling back as he tried to remember this man's name. Did he know it? 

"Harry," Draco gasped, breaking through the haze and focusing on the bright green eyes of the Alpha in front of him. Everything was still a little fuzzy, but Harry was completely in focus, the only thing that mattered. "Harry, oh god."

"There you are," the man murmured, and then his fingers were fucking right up against Draco's prostate, making the omega cry out weakly as he bent forward and rested his head on Harry's shoulder. It felt so good, so much better than his own attempts at working through his heat. "My omega, taking it so well," Harry groaned, his fingers setting an unforgiving pace that had Draco twisting and moaning in his arms. 

"Harry," the omega gasped, barely able to see past his own pleasure. Everything was becoming too much, all at once, and then it did become too much and his entire body seemed to explode as he cried out, and then he realized that he hadn't actually exploded, he'd just cum but it was almost the same thing at this point. 

"So good for me, Draco," his Alpha hummed, running a hand through the other's blond hair as Draco collapsed against him, trembling. Soft sobs began to wrack the omega's body and Harry immediately stiffened, tilting his head back to look at Draco. "What's wrong?" he asked, and the omega shook his head, gesturing to his still-hard dick. 

"I'm not going to be able to cum properly," Draco said, frustrated and already exhausted. "Not during heat, and it's hell and I just want--" he dissolved into quietly crying again, nestling into Harry's neck and taking comfort in the man's scent. "Want it to stop," he sniffed, feeling pathetic and hating himself. 

"I think I can make you cum properly," Harry said firmly, one hand stroking the nape of Draco's neck, and then lowering him to the bed and kissing him softly. It was a good kiss, soft and reminiscent of the kiss they'd shared in the library. Draco took in a deep breath as he felt his lucidity slipping away once again, the heat haze blurring his gaze. 

His Alpha began to make his way down Draco's chest, kissing and licking the skin tenderly until he reached his dick and gave it a few firm strokes. The omega cried out and arched off of the sheets, his breathing becoming erratic. What was the Alpha doing? Omegas were supposed to spread their legs and take it up the ass, not be touched there. That was for Alphas, the pleasure was for--

Those thoughts were wiped away completely when his Alpha took the omega's cock into his mouth, enveloping it in a heat that had the omega gasping and bucking his hips. His Alpha might have laughed or moaned, but whatever it was sent vibrations through the omega's whole body and left him a trembling mess. He tried to buck up but strong hands held him down, pinning his slim hips to the bed. 

"Alpha," the omega began to babble, and the man took his mouth off of the omega's dick, tsk-ing disapprovingly. The omega growled at the Alpha, surprising even himself, but there was no time for this. He needed satisfaction now, right now, or he was going to go absolutely insane. The man seemed to recognize this and licked a hot stripe up the side of the omega's cock, making him melt into the sheets and close his eyes. 

This was so new, so exciting. No one had treasured Draco like this, during his heat or otherwise. No one had ever tried to make him feel like he was actually worth something. This Alpha--no, Harry--had done all of that and more, for little to no reason. He didn't have to, not when he owned Draco, but he did because he could. He did it because for some strange reason he cared. 

With that wonderful thought in his mind, Draco came properly, inside Harry's mouth. He yelled as he did so, hands curling in the sheets and back arching away from the bed. It was intense, and a rush like none he'd felt during a heat before. He felt sated. 

"So good," Harry murmured once again, and moved up to sit next to Draco. Without knowing what he was going, the omega cuddled into Harry's chest and then hugged him, feeling completely and utterly content. "Draco," his mate whispered, sounding awed, "darling, you're purring."

Was he? Draco couldn't bring himself to care, not at the moment. His body was wrung out, and while he could still feel the heat simmering under his skin, he needed to sleep. He snuggled into his mate, and felt Harry slowly wrap his arms around him as well, holding him tightly as he succumbed to his exhaustion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I hope that was good... I've never written heat smut before and it was definitely tricky. I tried to make Draco's points of lucidity and non-lucidity clear by using "omega"/"Alpha" to refer to the characters vs "Draco"/"Harry". 
> 
> Let me know if you liked this chapter below!! Kudos make me happy, but comments make me ecstatic ;) (seriously I check this account for comments like... All the time). <3


	5. Water and Grapes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco rides out the remainder of his heat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!
> 
> I apologize once again for taking two weeks to write this update. Turns out, there's a lot more to do in the summer than I expected! Still, I got this chapter eventually written.
> 
> Quick warning: more sexual activity in this chapter, and some descriptions of Draco's past abuse. Please don't read if that upsets you.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

Draco woke up sticky, sweaty, and covered in various residue from last night's activities. The heat haze had somewhat faded, remaining just as a low buzz underneath his skin. The sheets were too hot, too confining, and in one swift move the omega threw them to the floor. 

As soon as he'd sat up, Draco noticed Harry's absence. The instinctual omega side of him began to panic, but the refined Malfoy side of him told him to calm down and gather himself for a moment. He was entirely naked, and there was a slight soreness in his more sensitive regions. Surprisingly, it didn't seem as though he'd been taken advantage of, as he was nowhere near as sore as he'd be if he'd taken an Alpha cock the night before. So, it seemed Harry had kept his promise. 

His memories of the last twelve or so hours were fuzzy, and only managed to transmit ideas like "heat" and "Alpha" and "sleep". Draco was completely parched though, his mouth felt like the midst of the Sahara desert. That, coupled with his slowly rising anxiety over where Harry could be, convinced him to stand up and get out of bed. 

His muscles aching in protest, the blond gingerly stepped onto the floor and picked up a blanket, wrapping it around himself. It was a poor excuse for clothing, and rather looked like he'd just stepped out of the shower and was attempting to wrap his towel to look like a fancy dress. It was a ridiculous image, but Draco was not in the mood to try and put clothes on before he ventured out to find his mate. 

The door was locked when he tried to open it, which rather scared Draco at first, but then he found it was secured from the inside, not the outside. It only took a moment for him to unlock it and step into the stairwell, sighing as cool air washed over him. He hadn't even realized how stuffy Harry's room had been until he'd left. The stone was cool as he padded down the stairs, opting not to try and ride the railings this time. That seemed like a rather foolish idea. 

Reaching the bottom of the stairwell, the omega yawned and glanced around himself. Where could Harry be? He briefly considered scenting the air for him, but brushed the idea aside, deeming it uncouth even for someone in heat. 

It was then, when he turned, that he realized someone else was in the hallway with him. A certain ginger Alpha. 

Ron stared at him, mouth agape. The scene looked rather bad, Draco had to admit. He was an omega in the throes of his heat, wandering around without his Alpha. Oh, and he had no clothes on. Just a silky bed sheet hiding his nudity. 

Something flashed in Ron's eyes, and Draco hissed as forcefully as he could, resorting to base instinct. His scent must be overwhelming right now. God, why hadn't he thought about the other Alpha in the house before he'd left the room? This was turning into a dangerous situation. Ron looked absolutely horrified, and was attempting to back into a stone wall. 

"I am not about to--you're my best friend's omega, for Gods sake," the ginger blurted out, and Draco managed to relax infinitesimally. At least Ron wasn't very affected by his heat-scent. Some Alphas wouldn't be able to control themselves. 

"I'm looking for Harry," the omega said, very aware of how small and hoarse his voice sounded. "Do you know where he is?" 

"No," Ron said slowly, and then a low growl echoed from behind him. 

Harry was standing at the end of the hallway, looking as ferocious as he could while holding a pitcher of ice water and cold grapes. The Alpha had sunk into a low crouch, and his eyes were flicking between Ron and his half-naked mate as he tried to make sense of the situation. Ron gulped and took another step back into the wall, not prepared to try and fight Harry when Draco was in heat. 

'I should've stayed in bed,' Draco reflected as Harry's green eyes connected with his own. 'Would've made this a lot simpler.' He was as tense as his mate was, his hands gripping the corners of his sheet as tightly as he could. "Harry," he tried, but the Alpha simply growled again, his eyes fixating on Ron. 

"Harry," Draco said louder, a bit annoyed, and got the man's attention. He swallowed, nerves welling up in his stomach, as he did something he never thought he'd do. He looked up and to his left, then pushed his hair back, baring his neck. 

Submitting. 

As soon as he'd done it the omega was filled with anxiety, not sure if it had been the right move or not. He closed his eyes and stayed utterly still, waiting for his Alpha to react. Maybe Harry would be disgusted with him doing that in front of Ron. Maybe he'd be thrown out of the house. Maybe--

Before his mind could come up with more horrific scenarios, Harry was there, gathering Draco into a tight hug with his one free arm. Draco whimpered quietly, relieved, and sunk into the embrace. His Alpha smelled so good, so full of spice and. "Steak rub," Draco murmured into Harry's chest, having finally isolated that part of his scent. He'd only smelled steak rub once before, when he was young and had snuck into the manor's kitchen. He'd loved the smell so much that he'd rubbed a bit of the spice on his fingers, so he could keep smelling it for the rest of the day. 

Harry didn't seem to hear what Draco had said. He put down the water and grapes, and then drew back to kiss the blond, crowding him against the cool stone of the wall and nipping at his bottom lip. Draco melted into the kiss, giving over for a moment to how good this felt, how strangely right being with Harry was. 

"Thirsty," he managed to get out, and Harry immediately pulled away. In one swift move the Alpha hoisted Draco up, piggy-back style, and then picked up the food once more. It was convenient positioning for the omega, as he could bury his nose in Harry's neck and pretend he was just trying to stabilize himself. 

At some point during his submission and the following embrace, Ron must've snuck off, because when Harry turned and walked to the staircase the hallway was empty. Draco closed his eyes and mostly focused on scenting his mate as he was carried to the bedroom, only opening them again when he was gently deposited on the bed. 

"Drink," Harry said, pouring the water into a bedside glass and handing it to Draco, who gulped it down eagerly. He downed three more glasses, Harry pouring each one for him, before he felt like he could stop. "Grapes?" the Alpha offered, but Draco shook his head and moved over on the bed, clearly making space for Harry. 

"When did you get dressed?" the omega asked, distastefully eyeing the basic cotton pants and top Harry had put on. They weren't exactly fashionable, but perhaps useful. 

"Before you woke up," Harry murmured, climbing onto the bed and quickly stripping off said clothing. "Not much use for it now, though." 

Draco's eyes went wide and he scooted away, panic licking up his spine. "Harry, in the hallway--I didn't mean I wanted to have sex. I mean, my main heat mania is gone now, I just probably need a few more good orgasms before my good judgement comes back, I--" 

Strong hands wrapped around Draco's wrists and pulled him back to Harry's chest, back to his Alpha's warmth. "Don't worry," Harry soothed, sounding a bit anxious himself. "I just thought we'd be on more equal footing if I was naked too. I haven't forgotten your boundaries, and I don't intend to step over them without an explicit yes from you. Alright?"

Draco felt the tension rush from his body and he slumped against his Alpha's chest, nuzzling against Harry's strong body. "Alright," he murmured, quite relieved. 

Being in this close proximity, it didn't take long for a bit of the heat to return, and Draco couldn't help from squirming on the bed. "Do you need something?" Harry chuckled, clearly amused, and while the omega usually would've fired back a scathing remark, all he could think about at the moment was having something in his arse. It was too humiliating to ask for, though, so he decided to ride out the heat as best he could. 

Of course, that didn't work very well. Draco's stubborn determination led to him holding his breath until his face turned red and Harry muttered "oh, for goodness sakes. Do you want me to finger you?" The omega nodded slowly, and was relieved to feel two fingers pushing into his slick hole. 

Harry finger-fucked him lazily for a few minutes, the two laying in companionable silence. Draco let out little shuddering whimpers every time his Alpha's fingers brushed over his prostate, but for the most part it was much less intense than the night before had been. Draco thought it was actually nice, to just rest in the presence of his mate. 

Harry spoiled it, though. The man inhaled slowly, and then said "Draco, you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, alright? I just... Why do you hate me so much?" 

"I don't hate you," the omega replied immediately, surprised that Harry would assume that. "If I hated you why would I let you touch me? Why would I submit to you like I just did?"

The Alpha sighed. "It just seems like you think the worst of me at every turn, and I don't know why. I've tried to be as kind to you as possible, and, well, I just wanted to try and know why exactly I seem to annoy you."

"It's not you that sets me off," Draco admitted, casting his eyes downward and rocking back on Harry's fingers. "It's... It's the fact that when I'm with you I'm supposed to act like a traditional omega. I'm supposed to be submissive, and I hate it."

"Why?"

Draco squeezed his eyes closed as Harry pushed right against his prostate and came, gasping. "Um--fuck. Give me a second." The omega collapsed against Harry's chest and caught his breath, trying to bring his mind back to the topic at hand. "I guess it's because of my training."

"Your training?"

Did Harry really not know? "I thought my father would've told you," Draco said shrewdly, glancing up at the Alpha's face to make sure he wasn't lying. He seemed honest enough when he shook his head, so Draco sighed and forged on. "When I was little, directly after I presented, my father hired an omega trainer. He was supposed to guide my transition from being raised as an Alpha to becoming more submissive, more omegan in general. 

"I couldn't deal with it at all. I think that because I was so young, the idea that my presenting made me different didn't really make sense. So I resisted all my training at every turn. Little did I know, the trainer my father had hired wasn't someone to be trifled with. My father had never punished me, I think he didn't want to get his hands dirty. The trainer had no problem with punishments. The first time he put me over his knee was horrible. He must've hit me fifty times, or at least it seemed like he did. It lasted for an eternity. Afterwards, he left me sobbing on my bed, unable to comprehend why it had happened to me. That time, it was because I'd looked him in the eyes while he was speaking. Something no obedient omega would do. 

"From there, the punishments only got worse. Beatings were the most common, but I remember being locked in a closet for accidentally spilling his wine at dinner. I don't think my mother ever really knew what was happening. I hope she didn't, because if she did... I don't want to believe that she would let me be beaten so viciously. I can't believe that she would. 

"The trainer was the most vicious when I went into heat. He would tie me to my bed and lecture me in the most intense parts of the haze, when I was reduced to simply calling him Alpha and begging for him to knot me. I think the first time he did that I was ten. But of course, he wouldn't even touch me. It hurt, both mentally and physically. It was worse when he would just leave me in a room by myself for the entire time. I would come out of the haze with scratches on the door and bloody fingernails, products of my desperate attempts to escape the isolation. 

"I learned that submission was equal to humiliation. I had to bare my neck too many times to count, at Alphas who I didn't trust and who would laugh at me. The trainer didn't do his job right, though. I'm not a perfect omega. I just resisted even more, and got punished time and time again. My father fired him after two years. He told me before he left that one day, when I was older, I would be his omega, and he'd 'finish the job' of training me."

A heavy silence hung over the room when Draco finished. Harry was tense all over, and a low growl was rumbling somewhere deep in his chest. "Who was the trainer?" the Alpha whispered, and Draco took a deep breath, wiping away the tears that had built in his eyes. 

"Tom Riddle. I don't think he ever really let go of the idea of finishing my training."

A real snarl filled the room, and Harry gathered Draco into the tightest hug he'd ever been a part of. "He's never going to touch you again," the Alpha said. "And--I'm sorry I snapped at you yesterday. I should've thought more about what you've gone through, what all of this has meant for you. To think I almost lost that damned auction to him--" Harry trailed off as he noticed Draco tense at the mention of the auction. "You'll never have to go through any of that here, okay? I won't do anything to you that you're not alright with. We're just meeting now, but I find you... enchanting. I'd never want to hurt you."

The words meant more than Draco could even begin to explain. Ever since he'd presented, he'd been treated as simply lesser, someone with barely any worth. But Harry, his Alpha, actually wanted him to be happy and loved and well cared for. It seemed like some sort of fever dream.

"Need you," the omega muttered after a second, his cheeks flaming at the admission. His heat was still stubbornly present, and although the dark discussion of his past had ruined the mood for a bit, the ache to be full was back. "Can you--three fingers." 

The change in subject was abrupt, but Harry delivered, carefully pumping three fingers into Draco. Something inside the omega had changed, and he took a deep breath before quietly saying "bond me."

"What?"

"I know I told you I didn't want to, at the beginning of this, but this isn't just the heat talking. You said we're really just meeting, and I want to get to know you better. So let's get to know each other better. Besides, if we don't do it now, we'll have to wait until my next heat, and who knows when that'll come." 

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, his eyes dark as he regarded Draco. His fingers sought the omega's prostate skillfully, massaging the small bump and reducing Draco to shudders and moans for a few moments. He let up so the omega could answer, scissoring open his tight heat instead. 

"Listen, if I say something then I'm sure about it," Draco snapped, taking both of them by surprise. The whole 'second guessing every single thing he said' schtick was getting pretty exasperating. Still, the omega thought he may have crossed a line and squeezed his eyes shut. Harry simply chuckled, then went back to trying to see how many orgasms he could wring out of Draco before the end of his heat. 

The Alpha moved closer as his fingers twisted inside of the blond, nuzzling into Draco's neck and nosing along his bond gland. The omega took a deep breath and opened his eyes, wanting to remember the moment he was bonded for the first time. He knew it was a milestone for most omegas, but because of the lack of omegan presence in his life he had no idea what to expect. 

Harry simply licked and kissed the smooth skin of the bond gland as he fingered Draco, waiting for the right time to initiate the bond. When the omega began to whimper and writhe on the bed, the Alpha in him reacted strongly. Harry hadn't even thought he was capable of biting so hard, but before he knew it he could taste Draco's blood on his tongue. 

It didn't hurt as badly as the blond had expected, probably because he'd cum at the same time. It was really the rush of emotion that greeted him that was shocking. 

He could feel how pleased Harry's Alpha instincts were with his successful claim. 

He could feel Harry's guilt over biting so hard he'd broken Draco's skin.

He could feel the lingering sadness and anger Harry had felt when he'd heard about Draco's past. 

But there was so, so much more than that. He could feel the current of pure Alpha strength running through Harry's veins. He could feel the instinct to mate, to fuck, and how well Harry was pushing it away. 

It was like he had been given a free pass to look at any emotion his Alpha had ever had. 

The best part, though, were the parts pertaining to him. Apparently Harry thought he was beautiful, and had been in awe of him since the day they'd met. Draco could feel the dedication to His Omega that rooted Harry firmly to him, both instinctually and not. He could feel the--it felt like love, honestly. 

But Draco had never felt love, and knew that while Harry certainly liked him a lot, their relationship was not at that point yet. They would just have to spend more time together, and cement this initial infatuation into something more stable. 

"Draco," Harry moaned, and the omega realized that his Alpha must be feeling the same way he was.

Could Harry feel how relieved and grateful Draco was that he'd ended up right here, in this bed? Could he feel the grace and electricity that Draco felt running through his veins, every day? Did his Alpha understand what it meant to be training into being just an omega, just a submissive object? How impossible that expectation was for Draco?

Draco supposed he couldn't know. He'd just have to wait and see if the Alpha mentioned anything. 

"You're purring again," Harry mentioned fondly, and Draco realized with shock that he was. There was a deep sense of contentment in his chest, rocking though his body, and all the omega wanted to do was to be held and to pleasantly vibrate against his Alpha's chest. He'd never purred before, not that he could remember. It was supposedly very rare, and only happened with a loving Alpha. That was probably why it was so rare. 

The bond seemed to communicate Draco's wishes fairly well, because Harry gathered him into a tight ball and kissed the top of his head. It was so domestic and friendly, something Draco-from-three-days-ago never would've imagined happening to him. 

But it did, and it felt amazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, some pretty big stuff happened in that chapter. Did anyone predict that Draco and Tom had this type of past relationship?
> 
> Just so you all know, I'm on vacation next week and will not be able to post on Monday. If I'm proactive, I'll post it this Friday. If not, I'll try to have it ready two Mondays from now, the 17th. Thanks for bearing with me!
> 
> Quick fun fact: originally, Draco and Harry weren't going to bond until chapter 11. However, I felt like it was rather unrealistic, as most mated couples are bonded as soon as one of them goes into heat/rut. So now theyre bonded, and we'll see where it takes them! By the way, bonds in this universe are temporary. They have to be refreshed during every heat/rut, and can only be initiated or refreshed in that time period. However, the "claim" an Alpha places on an omega is valid with or without a bond bite. 
> 
> If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave kudos or comment below! Kudos make me smile, but comments make my whole day <3 hope yall enjoyed this chapter!


	6. A Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco learns more about his new life and his new mate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm back from my vacation! Interestingly enough, parts of this chapter were written both on the ocean and on a nine hour long car ride. 
> 
> Personally, this is one of my favorite chapters so far. I hope you all enjoy as well!

The bond was the first thing Draco noticed as he woke up. 

He wasn't a morning person, so the sensation of opening his eyes was just as unpleasant as usual. But now it was accompanied by so much more. The feelings of another person were flooding his senses, making him aware of what was actually going on. It seemed Harry had been awake for a while. 

Sitting up, Draco noticed Harry wasn't in bed, and a now-familiar tinge of panic seized him. It seemed that having a mate entailed also having extreme anxiety when you didn't wake up next to them. Now, though, there was a replying tinge of panic, and before Draco knew it his Alpha was at the bedroom door, completely out of breath. 

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, panting, and the blond was too surprised for a moment to respond. It was still so early, and he'd just ended his heat, and he was absolutely starving, but in general, yeah, he was alright. 

"I'm fine," Draco replied, tilting his head to the side. "Why are you so worried?"

"I just felt that you were anxious through the bond, and..."

"And you raced upstairs immediately?" It was kind of funny, that Harry had been so worried, but also strangely touching. "I'm really fine. That just happens every time I wake up and you're not here. I guess it's a side effect of being mates? It'll probably be a little more intense now that we're bonded too."

Harry's green eyes widened, and the Alpha stepped over to the bed, sitting down next to Draco. "You've been that worried every time you've woken up and I wasn't there?"

"Yes," the omega said slowly, "but it's not a big deal at all, okay?" 

"I'm never getting up before you again," Harry muttered, and then paused before leaning in and pressing a chaste kiss to Draco's forehead. "Mrs. Weasley is getting breakfast ready downstairs, so I'll meet you down there when you're dressed, okay?" The omega was too groggy and flabbergasted to do anything but mumble his assent and watch his Alpha leave. 

Well, that interaction had been strange. Draco closed his eyes for a moment and cautiously tried to feel for the bond, to see what Harry was feeling right now. 

A wave of genuine worry washed over the omega, who frowned and tried to dissect the feeling further. It seemed to be a combination of stress over Draco's general wellbeing, how he was recovering after his heat, how Harry could tell he was starving, how apparently he'd been panicked every morning he'd spent here so far, and some other things that Draco couldn't pick apart. 

For some reason, the realization that Harry was worried about him made tears well up in Draco's eyes. It was most likely just post-heat hormones, but no one else had ever been so concerned over whether or not Draco was feeling hungry. (Although to be fair, he hadn't eaten in almost a day and a half, so it made sense for his mate to be a bit anxious about his food intake.) All this relationship stuff was so confusing, and the heat hadn't helped at all. It had made the situation a lot worse. 

It would be easier if Harry was a typical Alpha, and Draco could just hate him. But now he had to deal with the other man's kindness, and the fact that Harry had serious feelings for him. Draco didn't know if he returned the feelings at all, but he did know that his emotional state was one tangled, messed up ball of nonsense. It would take some time to sort that out. 

Pushing all of that aside, Draco got up and got dressed for breakfast. He was a little sore in places, and very tired, but nothing raised any alarms. Instead of going for his own closet, he went to Harry's. It was common to have nesting urges directly after a heat, so the omega let himself pick out a dark blue button-up and slip it on. He paired it with his own slacks and then brushed his hair back. 

His bonding bite caught his eye in the mirror, and Draco paused to run his fingers over it. It still hurt, a dull ache. The skin around it was bright red, and the actual bite had been so deep that there was a clear indent in Draco's skin for each of Harry's teeth. A surge of pride swelled inside the omega, and he gathered his hair into a high ponytail in order to clearly showcase his new bond. 

"Draco," Harry shouted from several floors below. "Breakfast is ready."

"Coming," Draco called out, and hurried down the staircase, sparing one last glance in the mirror to make sure he looked alright. 

Mrs. Weasley was not thrilled by the fact that neither Harry nor Draco had eaten during Draco's heat. "It's not healthy at all," she scolded, heaping sausage and hash browns onto their plates. "What if you had fainted, and hit your head? Thank goodness you at least had the sense to drink something." Her eyes lingered on Draco's neck, and her eyes flashed. 

"This boy told you not to bond him," she snapped, turning and swatting Harry with the edge of her apron. "I was there, Harry James Potter. Do not tell me that you took advantage of his heat to initiate something he wasn't ready for. I have never been more disappointed in you, I thought you had better self control than that, I--"

"Mrs. Weasley," Draco interrupted, his cheeks bright red. "It's alright, I... In a moment of clarity, I told Harry he could bond me. I wanted to get to know him better."

"Oh," Mrs. Weasley said, looking between them. "Hmm. I suppose that's alright then. Eat your breakfasts." She swept out of the room with furrowed brows, murmuring something to herself about foolish young mates. 

Harry, for some reason, was grinning as if he'd found the whole interaction amusing. Actually, Draco could tell he had found it amusing, as mirth was transmitting through the bond, but he didn't know why. He focused on eating his breakfast, and re-fueling his exhausted body. 

"Nice shirt," Harry said after a bit, and red flooded Draco's cheeks once again. 

"Nesting urges," was all he said as way of explanation. 

"I'm not saying I don't like it. Actually, quite the opposite." Draco glanced up in time to see Harry wink at him, which did nothing to help the racing of his heart. "You're really good at keeping a straight face," his Alpha commented after a moment. "Now I can feel how flustered that made you, because of the bond, but without it I never would've known. I would've thought it annoyed you or something." 

"Well, you are pretty annoying," Draco said, a small smirk dancing across his lips. Harry just laughed and went back to eating his sausages. 

There were a few more calm moments of silence, and then the door flew open and Ginny danced into the room, a certifiable firestorm of energy. "You two are finally out of your room," she exclaimed, and plopped down across from Harry. "Thank goodness. It's been really boring around here with just Mum and Ron to talk to. So how was it?" 

"How was... My heat?" Draco asked slowly, taken aback once again by Ginny's earnest forwardness. "I mean..." 

"I don't think Draco wants to talk about that right now," Harry said, his tone stern. "That's private, Ginny. Mates don't typically share what goes on in heats or in ruts."

"Oh," Ginny said, deflating somewhat. "Okay, I guess. It must've mostly been good, because you two are bonded now. Is that weird?"

"Ginny," Harry warned, and the girl sighed, crossing her arms. 

"I just wanna know," she grumbled, and Draco laughed, a little less embarrassed. 

"It's fine," he shrugged. "Yeah, it is weird. But good weird."

"Draco," Harry said, clearly wanting to change the subject, "I was wondering if maybe you'd want to go riding today? I know the last time I suggested it you were, erm, not enthusiastic about the idea, but I thought it could be fun to go for a ride and then have a picnic dinner." 

"Like a date?" Draco rolled the idea over in his head, and then slowly nodded. "That could be fun. I don't have any sort of riding clothes, though. And I really don't know how to at all." 

"I'll teach you," Harry grinned, and Draco couldn't stop himself from smiling back at the other man. 

When they got out to the stables, Draco learned that there was a lot of unexpected work that went into preparing a horse to ride. "We groom our horses before and after we ride them," Harry explained, and handed Draco a brush before steering him towards a tall, chocolate-brown stallion. "Don't be afraid of him, alright? Just focus on making sure he's calm. His name is Charlie."

Draco cautiously put a hand out and stroked the horse's side, earning himself a glance from Charlie but nothing more. Brushing the horse turned out to be rather calming--the rhythmic stroke of the brush, the way Charlie's coat shimmered in the light--and relaxed the omega significantly. "I think I'm done," Draco called out after a while, and Harry came back. 

The Alpha showed Draco how to saddle his horse and mount him, then led Charlie out to pasture. "I'm going to saddle up my steed, Alexander, and then we can ride up to the house. Mrs. Weasley has a picnic basket all set for us. After we grab that, I'll bring you to a little clearing where we can eat." 

Draco nodded, and focused on riding Charlie around the pasture in circles. The horse seemed to obey his wishes, but Draco didn't flatter himself thinking it was anything he'd done. Charlie was just a very well trained horse. 

Before the omega knew it, they were back at the house, and Mrs. Weasley was handing Harry a picnic basket. "You two be careful," she said. "Don't go riding those animals too fast, and don't let them get spooked. Especially you, Draco. I want you both in bed before midnight." 

"Yes, mother," Harry teased. Draco felt a rush of affection for Mrs. Weasley. There had never been anyone to worry over him, to tell him to be careful and to be home on time. It was strangely nice. Harry glanced over at him, and Draco looked away, wary of the bond for the first time. There was no room to hide how embarrassingly grateful he was for any sort of affection. 

"Come on," Harry said, his voice unusually soft, and he led both the horses into a swift trot away from the house. 

At first, Draco was nervous that, with his relative inexperience, he wouldn't be able to control Charlie. It turned out that he didn't need to. The horse was content to follow Harry and Alexander into the forest, and along the winding trails inside of it. 

For the first time, it struck Draco just how large Harry's property must be. The trails seemed to go on for forever. The forest itself was beautiful, and the omega soon found himself immensely enjoying the scenery as he was jostled up and down by his horse. They rode for a long time, until the afternoon had faded into evening and the trees opened up to reveal a grassy meadow. 

"I hope you don't mind I took you the long way," Harry called out as they rode to the left side of the clearing. "I wanted you to see the property. It's yours now too, so it's only right that you'd know what it's like."

Was it really his? Legally, yes, but it was rare to find an Alpha who didn't simply see that part of mating as a formality. "No, I loved it," Draco said, smiling widely. "It's beautiful." 

Harry led Alexander beside a tree and tied the reins to it, then went to Charlie. The Alpha took Draco by the waist and lifted him off of the saddle, setting the omega down in front of him, on the soft grass. They were so close that Draco could feel the heat of the other man, could smell the way his scent was tinged with sweat. They lingered there for a moment longer, and Draco thought Harry might kiss him, but the man stepped away. 

"Do you want to unpack the picnic basket?" Harry asked, and Draco nodded, feeling a little unsteady after being confronted with such a potent wave of his mate's scent. It smelled so appealing. The omega had half a mind to just jump on Harry's back and bury his nose in the man's neck. 

Harry chuckled, a booming laugh that echoed through the trees. "I didn't realize my scent affected you so strongly," the man grinned, and Draco's jaw dropped. How could he forget the bond? "If you want to jump on me, go ahead," the Alpha smirked, teasing his mate. 

"Alright," Draco said, and in a rush of recklessness he ran at Harry, tackling him to the ground. The grass was soft and dewy, and the pair rolled around in it, wrestling with vigor. Draco was determined to win this time, and used his smaller size to his advantage, evading Harry's grasp time and time again. 

The horses grazed as the mates fought, unconcerned with the laughter and playful growls echoing through the meadow. Eventually, Draco got the upper hand, and managed to pin Harry's hands down to the ground as he sat on the Alpha's chest. "I win," he panted, a smile painting his face. 

"Yes, you do," Harry agreed, smiling as well. "What are you going to do with me now that you've captured me, brave Draco?" 

The atmosphere was suddenly a lot less playful and more serious. Draco sat on top of Harry, still trying to catch his breath, looking down into the man's vivid green eyes. "Whatever I want," he murmured, and then cautiously leaned down and kissed his mate. 

It was the first good kiss they'd had, really. Harry let Draco take the reins, so it was slower at first, but as the blond gained more confidence it got better. Harry's lips were soft, and there weren't too much teeth, and it wasn't as strange as Draco had expected when he felt the other man's tongue. It was fun, and romantic, and the only reason Draco pulled away was because he couldn't breathe. 

The two looked at each other for a long moment, both breathing heavily, and for some reason Harry started laughing. Draco began to laugh too, although he wasn't really sure why, and rolled off of Harry to lay by his side. "Pretty good first kiss," he said once they'd calmed down, and Harry raised an eyebrow. 

"That wasn't our first kiss," he pointed out, and Draco shushed him. 

"It was my first good kiss slash the first kiss I remember properly. Therefore, I've decided it was my first kiss."

"I don't know if that's how it works."

"I don't care." 

"You're certainly a character, Draco Malfoy."

"If I'm a character, you're--something else that's ridiculous. I don't know. An idiot."

"Don't call your Alpha an idiot." 

"Sorry, do you see an Alpha around here somewhere? All I see is someone who just lost to me in a wrestling match."

"I let you win so you'd kiss me."

"Oh, sure. Just keep telling yourself that."

They dissolved into laughter again, and Harry sat up. "We should eat," he said, and went to fetch the picnic basket. Draco didn't bother with moving, just laid in the grass and looked up at the sky. The sun was setting. Pinks and purples streaked across the horizon like someone had painted them with wide, arching strokes. 

"I'm not hungry," the omega said when Harry came back with the food, but sighed and ate a sandwich when the bond sparked with concern. It was good, as all of Mrs. Weasley's cooking was. Harry ate too, and they sat in companionable silence as the sun fell lower and lower in the sky. 

"Are you happy here?" Harry asked, looking over at Draco. 

"It's only been a few days, and two of them were in heat," the blond pointed out. "I haven't had a lot of time to get settled." 

"Yes, but... Do you think you could come to be happy here?" 

"Why?" Draco asked warily, searching the bond and Harry's face for answers. Neither revealed much. There was just a wavering anxiety transmitting across the bond, and Harry looked fine. 

"If you don't want to stay, you're free to leave at any point," the Alpha sighed. "But I want to make plans for the future. I want to throw a party for you, so everyone can come and see us together. You amaze me, Draco. I just want to know if the heat, and today, have changed any of the feelings you had towards being here before." 

Draco took a moment and let that sink in before speaking again. "I know I'll grow to be very happy here," he admitted, and a wave of relief swept through the bond. "At first, I thought I'd just be able to live with it, but I feel really strongly for you already. And I like it here. I like the Weasleys, and the grounds. So, yeah." It took a lot for the omega to admit that, and he looked down afterwards, flushing. 

"I like you being here," Harry said softly, reaching out and cupping the side of Draco's face. "You know, ever since I was little I wanted to be mated to you. I just didn't think it would happen."

"What?" Draco asked, looking up, surprised. "We were just kindergarten enemies. How could you want to be mated to me back then?"

"Well, everyone joked about it," Harry shrugged. "The teachers all said you were only annoying me because you liked me."

"That's not true," Draco said. "I was just an annoying little kid."

"I guess so. For some reason you just stuck in my head ever since then. I always wondered how you'd been doing."

Draco sighed and laid back in the grass. Harry moved and laid down next to him, and they looked up at the sky together. It was properly night now, and the stars twinkled high above them. The sight was beautiful. 

"Kiss me again," Draco said quietly, and Harry obliged immediately, shifting to rest on one arm as he softly kissed his mate. Privately, Draco thought he could spend all his time just kissing Harry, at least for now. 

Of course, they eventually had to go back to the house. "We don't want Mrs. Weasley to worry," Harry pointed out, and Draco reluctantly agreed, helping him clean up their picnic and then letting him lift him back on to Charlie. 

They rode back to the house quickly, through the dark of night. The horses flew as fast as the wind, and Draco closed his eyes, feeling the cool air on his face. He felt happier than he had in... Well. He felt happier than he had ever felt before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Draco. He has no idea what's in store for him. (That's my way of warning you that the next chapter is going to be a lot less happy for our newly-bonded Drarry.)
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this rather fluff filled chapter. Leave comments and kudos if you did, as they light up my day and make me smile. And get ready for a few twists and turns next Monday!


	7. The Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Sorry for posting a day late, I got caught up in some family issues last night and couldn't edit properly until today. Still, at least it's not a week late!
> 
> This chapter is shorter than some, but it's also important in plot development, and it had to begin and end at certain points. It felt cheap to add in useless fluff or something, so y'all are only getting 2.5k words this week. Maybe neck week will be longer, who knows? 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

A few weeks later, Draco was content, and things were going surprisingly well. 

Every morning, the blond was woken up by his mate peppering light kisses across his shoulders, spooning him from behind. The sun streamed in through the windows, delicate rays that laid across the room and coaxed Draco to begrudgingly open his eyes. Harry didn't rush his waking process, slow as it was, and was content to let Draco take his own sweet time rolling over, grumbling about the hour, and eventually getting out of bed. 

Harry would head down to breakfast once Draco was up, giving his mate time to get ready for the day. No one except the Alpha ever saw Draco with less than perfect hair. Once he deemed himself presentable, he'd make his way downstairs, and begin his day with a hearty breakfast.

It felt good to be able to gorge himself on sausages, eggs, and bacon, instead of trying to maintain his figure. The omega already looked a little softer around the edges, less stick-like. Somewhat surprisingly, Draco found he didn't care. He was attractive when he was thin, and he'd be attractive if he filled out a bit. 

After he ate, he spent his mornings doing various other activities. Sometimes, he'd garden with Ginny. They could spend hours outside together, weeding the more overgrown flowerbeds and talking about anything they thought of. While Draco considered himself closest to Harry, Ginny was a near second. She provided the support of a friend he hadn't had before. 

If he wasn't gardening, Draco could be found in the kitchens with Mrs. Weasley. He wanted to learn how she made her scrumptious dishes, and was prone to following her around like a puppy at times. Lucky for him, Molly was a patient teacher. She never got upset at him. Not even when he burned lunch, or dropped an egg on the floor, or spilled sugar everywhere. He wasn't great, but at least he was learning. 

When everyone else was busy, he was content to spend time in the library, curled up with a good book. His favorite genre was fantasy, the types of books that whisked you off to far off places, full of magic and romance and happy endings. Harry could usually tell when his mate was in the library, just from the contentment that would settle over their bond. 

While mornings were all well and good, Draco always found himself looking forward to the times he spent with Harry. They took all their meals together, and spent every afternoon and evening doing whatever they liked. It wasn't uncommon to see them riding, or chasing each other around, or play-fighting on the mansion's spacious lawns. Their relationship was quickly growing stronger, as they both began to love being together and to miss each other when they were apart. 

One particular afternoon, Harry and Draco basked on the grassy banks of a small pond together, taking in the sun. They'd just taken a long ride into the forest together, happened upon the clearing, and decided to cool off. It was a nice day, filled with possibilities. 

"Do you like bad boys?" Harry asked, trying out another pickup line on Draco. It was a new habit he'd gotten into, as it never failed to make the omega laugh. 

"Because you're bad at everything," Draco finished, rolling his eyes. "I've heard that one before, doofus." Calling his Alpha rude names still made his heart speed up a bit, even though Harry never got mad, and recognized the insults as terms of endearment. 

"I guess I'll have to ask Ron for more," Harry mused, before rolling over and wrapping his arms around Draco's waist. The omega yelped and struggled as he was picked up and carried towards the water, Harry laughing the whole way over. 

The pond was cold as he was dropped into it, and Draco closed his eyes, sinking until his feet hit the sandy bottom. He pushed off with all his might, and exploded, breaking the surface next to Harry, splashing his mate. Harry roared with laughter, chasing Draco through the water. The omega was smaller and faster, managing to evade capture for several minutes before Harry cornered him behind a small waterfall. 

"There's no escape," Harry yelled over the water, grinning widely. "You have to come with me."

"Oh no," Draco yelled back, his drawl sarcastic. "However will I survive, being forced to spend time with my awful mate?" 

"You'll have to make do," Harry said, closer now, and Draco backed up until he was pressing against the cool of the rock behind him. Harry leaned in, and softly whispered, right against Draco's ear: 

"Was your mother a beaver? 'Cause damn." 

Draco erupted into laughter and shoved the Alpha away, sending Harry stumbling into the water. "You're horrible," he yelled, unable to keep himself from smiling as he said it. Instead of responding, Harry stood back up and swept Draco into his arms, carrying him out of the water and depositing him back on the grass. 

"I don't think it's fair that you're so much bigger than me," Draco said, running his fingers over Harry's chest. "It's too much power. You can just pick me up and put me down wherever you want to." 

"Hmm," Harry hummed, watching his mate avidly. Their scents were intertwined now, past the point of no return. There was no smelling Draco without smelling Harry, and the other way around. Speaking of which, "I've figured out another aspect of your scent," the Alpha remarked, tilting his head to the side. 

"Oh? And what would that be?" 

"The colder smell is sleet. I still haven't figured out the last one, but I've got two out of three. Which is better than you."

"Oh, shut up." 

Harry didn't respond, leaning in and kissing Draco with a smile on his face. The omega hummed contentedly and relaxed into the grass, closing his eyes. 

Over the past weeks, their bond had become much stronger. It seemed like it would be impossible, but Draco could decipher what Harry was feeling with relative ease, and was beginning to be able to understand the reasons behind his emotions. It was also a bit simpler to separate his own emotions from Harry's. Right after they'd bonded, there were some unfortunate incidents where Harry would start snapping at people without understanding why he was annoyed. ("Because I burned the crepes again, okay? Mrs. Weasley keeps trying to teach me, but they're so stupid and thin, which isn't fair at all. I'll just make regular pancakes.") 

Thankfully, Draco's easily triggered frustrations seemed to be affecting Harry's behavior a lot less. It was a sign of a bond "maturing", according to Mrs. Weasley. 

Another strange side affect of being bonded was, apparently, strange dreams. Draco dreamed of things that had happened to Harry, from the Alpha's point of view. The weirdest part of that particular phenomena was seeing himself, when he dreamed of things that had happened that day or a couple days ago. 

All in all, things were going well with the bond, and just in general. Draco brought him back to the present, kissing his Alpha, and scrambled out from underneath Harry to grin at him from a few feet away. 

"Do you remember the Auction?" 

"How could I forget," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Why do you--dammit, Draco." 

The omega had laughed and sprung away, running into the thick of the forest just a few feet away. Harry sprung to his feet, chasing after almost immediately. 

Draco was fast, bobbing in between tree after tree as he ran away from Harry. A good diet and weeks of horse riding had significantly increased his fitness level, and now he was able to run a lot longer without Harry catching him. His small stature helped too. While Harry had to find spaces big enough for him to fit through, Draco could pretty much just run in a straight line. 

His feet pounded over mossy rocks and tree roots as he weaved through the forest, laughing to himself. Harry wasn't far behind, as he could hear his footsteps through the grass. It was exhilarating, to simply run as fast as he could and not worry about being caught. He hadn't run this hard, with no fear, since... well. He'd never really run without fear. 

After five or so minutes of running, Draco slowed down, intending to let himself be caught. After another minute, when Harry hadn't come up behind him, he stopped completely and looked around. Where was Harry? They must've taken a different turn at some point. Worry began to tug at him as he looked around and realized he had no idea where he was. 

The trees were thicker here, so dense that barely any light filtered in from the sun. The ground was wetter, and there were a lot more bugs. It seemed he had run himself directly into a swamp. But which way was the way back to the house? 

He slowly turned around, trying to see if he could glimpse any sort of path. There was none, and then he realized he'd just been incredibly stupid. The spin had left him with no way to remember which way he'd come from, and if he couldn't remember that, he couldn't retrace his steps. 

Draco grasped for the bond, getting nervous. Harry seemed to be worried as well, as he'd lost sight of his mate in the trees. The blond took a deep breath and yelled "Harry!" once, as loud as he could. Then he yelled it again, and again, and again, until a flock of birds flew out of a nearby tree and his throat started to hurt. But there were no results. 

The darkness was beginning to become stronger, and Draco started to become more and more anxious. Was he going to have to sleep out here, and wait until Harry found him? That would be uncomfortable. And who knew what kind of strange creatures resided in this forest? For all he knew, he'd accidentally run off of Harry's property, and now he was lost in the wilderness. 

Draco was trying to gather his breath for another shout when a rough hand closed around his throat. 

The omega didn't pause to think, he just started to struggle, kicking at whoever was holding him, scraping his nails along the hand cutting off his airway. The Alpha--for it was an Alpha, clear by the scent--laughed low in his ear, and Draco froze. He knew that laugh. 

"Fenrir," he choked out, and was thrown to the ground. 

Fenrir Greyback was Tom's best friend. Another omega trainer. He was known to be even more vicious than Tom, both in disciplining his omegas and teaching them. He also was known for his many matings. He had three omegas to himself: two poor girls, and one boy. It wasn't uncommon for richer Alphas to mate twice, but three times was rarer. It had been rumored that Fenrir was looking for a fourth omega. 

The Alpha was a hulking beast, all muscle and hair and typical stereotypes. He towered over Draco, his smile glinting, and the omega tried to scramble away. Fenrir laughed again, and stomped down on Draco's ankle. The blond cried out in pain, and glared up at Fenrir, hatred in his eyes. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" He spat, fingers digging into the wet dirt. "Got too bored of torturing your mates?"

"Don't talk to an Alpha that way," the man sneered, and twisted his foot in a way that had Draco crying out again. "I'm here as a favor for Tom. I've been camping out on the edge of your cheating Alpha's property for weeks, trying to find a way to come get you. Luckily for me, you came by yourself." 

"Is that what Tom is telling everyone? That Harry cheated? Well, guess what. He won the Auction fair and square." Draco was panicking, and he knew Harry could feel it, because the Alpha was panicking as well. Please, please, let his mate find him soon. 

"That's not what I meant," Fenrir said dismissively, and reached down to haul Draco off of the ground. "But I wouldn't expect an omega as dumb as you to understand. All your kind is good for is presenting your cunts to better Alphas." 

Draco stayed silent for a moment, then kicked Fenrir in the shins as hard as he could. The Alpha yelled and reached down, letting go of Draco, and then the omega was running as fast as he could in the other direction. Every step made his ankle ache, but he had to make it to Harry, had to get himself back to the house and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny and Ron and safety. If Fenrir took him, who knows what would happen? 

He would deliver Draco to Tom, and Tom would take him away from the only happiness he'd ever known. Draco wasn't about to let that happen. 

His legs pumped even faster than they had before as he sprinted through the woods, dancing around thick tree trunks and jumping over rotting logs. He still had no idea where he was going, and no idea how he was going to get there, but it was better than being in that dark swamp with Fenrir. 

Harry, Harry, Harry, he chanted in his head over and over as he ran. He needed his Alpha to come to him, so they could go back to the house together and escape whatever nightmare this was. He had to wake up. 

When Harry had won the Auction, he was supposed to have freed Draco from Tom forever. Why was the man still sending Alphas after him, to capture him? It wasn't like they could bond, not now when Harry had spent a heat with him. This was all so confusing, so terrifying. 

Draco looked up hopefully. The trees seemed to be thinning out a bit, as it got lighter. He must be nearing the lawn. There was an opening between two trees ahead, and he could see light streaming through it. He just had to get there, and he'd be safe. 

The omega focused all his energy on sprinting towards the light, even as he heard footsteps nearing him from behind. He would not lose this fight. He put on an extra burst of speed and burst through the trees triumphantly, seeing--

A road. A dirt road, that curved down the mountainside, with a carriage sitting only a few meters away. Draco froze, shocked, not understanding what was going on. Where was he? 

In the few seconds he was still, Fenrir caught up to him, and grabbed him around his torso, pinning him to the man's chest. "You ran the wrong way, little omega," he hissed. "And right to my carriage, too. How considerate of you." 

Draco started to scream then, to really scream, Harry's name and cries for help and anything else he could think of. Fenrir didn't react, just laughed and dragged him to the carriage, shoving him inside and closing the door.

Harry arrived three minutes later, but by then they were long gone, with only the lingering scent of his mate in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there's finally a twist in this story. 
> 
> Don't hate me for this, guys! I promise Draco and Harry will be alright. Eventually. Maybe not for a while. 
> 
> Leave comments and kudos if you liked this chapter (or if you have questions, or if you want to make me smile, or if you want to yell at me for hurting the otp). Expect a regular update next week! Thanks for reading!


	8. Run, Omega, Run!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, you have to break a character to build them back up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came to me at 11 o'clock at night, all at once, and I was powerless to do anything but write it all in two hours and post it immediately. I thought it was going to be late, but I guess it's actually a tad early? Surprise!
> 
> This is the most intense chapter of the fic so far. Please be warned: there are graphic threats of rape, some violence, and a very very small hint of suicidal thoughts. Be aware!
> 
> That all said, this is one of my favorite chapters I've written in this story. Please enjoy.

Draco's fingernails were digging into his palms so viciously that he thought he might start bleeding. Every jostling of the carriage made him want to throw up, every second that they got farther away from Harry making him angrier, scared, worried. 

"You couldn't have thought you'd be staying with that Alpha long," Fenrir sneered. He was lounging in the corner of the carriage opposite from Draco, cleaning under his nails with a long, pointed dagger. "You don't belong in some house on the hills, letting a weak, soft pussy like Harry fucking Potter pamper you."

The omega stared out of the window, watching the trees fly by. He tried to follow one of them with his eyes, to track its movement, but it was moving too fast. He lost sight of it in the blink of an eye. 

"Tom's gonna reward me for bringing you to him," Fenrir grinned, and Draco noted with disgust that his teeth were crooked and yellow. His poor mates, forced to take a mating bite from those disgusting teeth. 

"You're going to be treated like an omega should be when you're back where you belong," he murmured, and Draco tried to swallow. Bile was rising in his throat, making it hard to breathe.

"Tom's gonna cut off your pretty hair first. That's what he told me, at least. It's nice to hang on to when you're fucking an omega's mouth, but it's not good for your kind to feel all pretty and shit. Plus, you'll look more like a boy. Tom doesn't want some twinky girl in his bed."

A rock was thrown up from the road by the carriage wheels and hit the window. There was a small crack where it had made contact, a tiny web in the glass. Draco felt like the window, like thousands of pebbles were hitting him and he was splintering into delicate, crackling webs. 

"After he cuts your hair off he's going to fuck you in front of all his men. It ain't easy to establish dominance, not among the high and mighty, rich and powerful. But Tom is good at that shit. He'll strip you bare, fuck you dry. Unless you're such a slut you get wet for him. I bet you will."

Draco wished he could talk to Harry through the bond. There were old wives tales of true mates being able to communicate telepathically. But all he could feel was Harry's panic, mixed with his own. All he could feel right now was fear, but he wasn't showing it. His face was an icy glaze, set in stone. 

"He'll make your father watch," Fenrir mused, having switched from cleaning his nails to flipping his dagger in his hand. "Lucius needs to be taken down a peg or two. It'll be a good lesson for him, to see his omega bitch fucked on the floor. I mean, he already knows he's a failure. No Alpha son. Hell, not even an Alpha daughter. Or a beta son. Betas aren't too embarrassing."

Blood was dripping down Draco's palms, a few small rivulets. Still, he didn't tear his eyes away from the window. He was trying to remember each turn they took, every step they took away from the mansion and his mate. Left, right, left. That was all they had so far. 

"Once he's knotted you, I reckon he'll let his men fuck you too. It'll make a good show, for sure. Do you think you'll cry, Malfoy? I'd pay a pretty penny to watch you cry on the ground with a knot up your ass." Flip, flip, flip, went his knife in the air. 

Flip, flip, flip. 

"Once they're all done, he'll pick you up and fuck you again. And then, Malfoy, he'll do something you've never experienced before. He'll bond you. You're gonna love being bonded. Tom will always know where you are. He'll be able to track you down, day and night, use you whenever he wants."

Draco was frozen, staring out of the window. How had Fenrir not realized he was already bonded? He hadn't realized that his hair was so long it covered the mark. That was good. He had something to his advantage, something Fenrir didn't know. 

Flip, flip, flip. 

"I wanna watch you get raped," Fenrir hummed, lusty and lecherous. "Wanna watch you scream as you get pinned to the ground, your perfect little virginity taken away and shoved up your tight ass. Tom promised me he'd let me watch as long as I got you for him. Are you looking forward to it, Malfoy? I'm looking forward to you getting bonded. You'll look nice, marked up for everyone to see, no pretty blond hair to hide your true Alpha's claim." 

Flip, flip, flip. 

"Let's be honest. You want to be used. It's why you've been acting out since you were a wee little thing. You need someone to take control of you. Some omegas are like that. Their disobedience is a cry for attention. Tom can slap that right out of you, I bet. I hope he lets me help. I'm not supposed to touch you now-'any more than I had to', he said-but I will be allowed to eventually. I'd do it now, if I didn't think Tom would rip me a new one."

Flip. 

"No Alpha to save you from this, Malfoy. No Alpha can save you from something you've been needing your whole life. It's inevitable that you'd end up somewhere being raped in the ass. Don't tell me Harry hasn't fucked you yet. Eh, he's probably waiting for your consent or something ridiculous like that. Just wait 'till you hit a heat, right? Then he could bond you, too. Except he'll never get a chance too. Tom knew your heat schedule, Malfoy. That's why we knew we had at least a month more to get you out of there."

Flip. 

"Poor little omega. So weak, so sad. Looking out of the window like not seeing me can make your troubles go away. I'll make you look at me when you're sucking my cock. I'll make you scream, little omega. I bet you wish you weren't an omega. I bet you wish you weren't so helpless. I bet you wish you could-"

Fenrir threw his dagger high, too high. 

Draco moved like lightning. 

Before the Alpha even had time to react the blade was buried in his stomach, all the way to the hilt. Draco was close to Fenrir, so close, his eyes flashing as his heart pounded in his chest and he twisted the blade slowly, deliberately. His breath was hot as it washed over Fenrir's ear, down his neck. 

"Yes, I'm a motherfucking omega." He hissed, trembling even as he said it. "And I don't need an Alpha to save me from anything."

He pulled the dagger out in one swift move, Fenrir groaning quietly in surprise, and threw it to the ground. It seemed the Alpha had lost the will to talk, even though that was all he wanted to do a second ago. 

Draco's hands were streaked with so much blood. He tried not to think about it as he opened the door to the carriage and threw himself out. 

He hit the ground hard, right on his ankle, and had to bite his lip to keep from screaming in pain. His head hit the ground too, hard, and something in his side felt like it cracked. It was dark out now, and the stars twinkled overhead, so innocently. 

The carriage rolled on, bumping along the path. The driver didn't know that he had lost one passenger, and the other was bleeding out. 

Still, Draco couldn't count on him remaining unobservant for long. His heart was pounding so loudly it hammered in his ears, and his hands were trembling. His whole body was trembling. His head was spinning. There was fear deep in his stomach, a terrible, consuming fear that threatened to devour him. It made him even more afraid, if that was possible. 

He'd stabbed a man. He stabbed an Alpha. Draco whimpered at the thought, looking down at his blood-stained hands. Each palm had four perfect little crescent shaped gashes in it. 

"Ah, ah," Draco cried, trying to get a hold of himself. This panic was more than he could deal with at the moment. He wanted to lay under the covers of his bed and scream and shake and cry until the fear was gone. 

But the carriage could turn around at any moment now, and that deepened the fear, which prompted Draco to pull himself to his feet. He took a shaky step, and then another, trying to ignore the pain in his ankle and the throbbing in his head. 

Stretching out in front him were what looked like endless fields of wheat. Behind, there were only rocky outcroppings, the beginnings of a mountain range. He'd have to go forward. 

There was a sound behind him, like wheels on the road, and without thinking Draco threw himself into a sprint, into the wheat. 

It was only knee high, so it did nothing to hide him, and he knew he was creating a clear path if Fenrir was to come back. The only hope was to run as fast as he could, to run and never think of what could be chasing him. 

The fear was clawing at his heart now, at his throat, gripping his stomach. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't see. He couldn't even feel his ankle. All Draco could do was run, and run, and run, and hope to God he was going fast enough. 

He ran for what seemed like hours. It could've only been twenty minutes or so, because he was limping and gasping as he ran, but he had gone at least two and a half miles. Adrenaline had fueled him, pumping his legs, making up for the burn in his lungs where he was lacking oxygen. 

Still. His body could only go for so long. Eventually, Draco tripped, and he landed smack on his face. The ground was cool and wet, a fine layer of mud. The omega couldn't bring himself to get up, and just laid there, trying to pull in lungful after lungful of desperately needed air. 

Once he had caught his breath, the omega started to cry. It went from tears trickling down his face to full-fledged sobs, shaking his whole body as he laid in the mud, not bothering to move. He wanted to be home, with his mate, curled up in their soft bed with the satin blankets. He wanted Mrs. Weasley to come in with hot cocoa and tell them both to try and fall asleep. He wanted to ignore her as they always did, and sit up into the night, talking about everything and anything. He wanted to listen to Harry tell him he was beautiful. He wanted his Alpha to kiss him, and brush his hair before bed, and then kiss him a little more roughly. 

It began to rain. 

The water soaked through Draco's shirt, through his pants, through his hair, and still the omega lay still. Perhaps it would be easier to stay here, in the mud. He hurt all over, and wanted to throw up, and tendrils of that fear were still curling in his stomach. 

Then there was a sound in the wheat, a crashing sound, and Draco was running again. He didn't even know when he'd gotten up, but the adrenaline was back, and his legs were pumping and his lungs were burning and his eyes were stinging. God. He would give anything in the world to stumble upon his home right now. Harry's home, if he was being honest, but it was all he could think about. 

And then he saw it. 

There was a light, way off in the distance. It was firelight, that was for sure, and Draco's eyes widened as he took it in. Firelight meant someone else, another human, and that had to be good. 

Except maybe it wasn't. Maybe somehow he'd circled all the way around, and he was staring at the carriage from afar. Maybe it was a gang of Alphas, and they would rape him as Fenrir had planned to, in the mud. Maybe it was a stranger who would cut his threat and leave him for dead. 

Draco wanted to go somewhere else, but. He didn't have a choice. That light was his only hope. If he didn't go to it, he would fall again, and then he would die face-down in the wheat. He knew he would, because he wanted to so badly. He wanted to fall and go to sleep in the cool mud, and then not wake up again. Everything hurt. It had hurt since he presented, and it hurt now. It would be so much easier if it all could end, and he could lay in the mud.

But Harry was close to his heart, his worry and love thrumming through the bond, and Draco had a reason to live, something he wouldn't have had two months ago. It was enough to urge him on, to keep him stumbling through the wheat. His ankle throbbed with each step, and it made Draco slow, made him start to cry quietly as he walked. 

The light was at least a mile away, but everything else seemed so dark, and so Draco walked on. He walked even as his head throbbed, and his side hurt, and blood dried on his hands. Something dropped down his face, and he was vaguely aware that he'd hurt himself when he fell, either in the mud or out of the carriage, but it didn't matter. It fell down his cheek, to his lips, and Draco tasted the metallic tang of blood. 

His hair was probably a mess right now, the omega mused as he walked. Blond, especially white-blond, didn't do well with blood and dirt and mud. It was such a ridiculous thought that he laughed out loud and shook his head. Then he regretted that, as black spots swam in his vision and he became so dizzy he nearly fell over. Perhaps he wouldn't shake his head again, at least not in the near future. 

The light came more into focus, and Draco realized that what he was heading towards was a house. It was a small house, squat and humble, it's outline barely blacker than the night itself. There was a fire lit inside, to keep whoever lived there warm, and the light from it was what had drawn Draco to it so insistently. 

Whoever lived there was a night owl, for the moon was high in the sky and it was too dark for it to be before midnight. Draco was absurdly grateful for that. Whoever lived here had saved his life with their late night habits. 

The house grew larger and larger as Draco walked, and soon it was close enough that the omega could make out a red door set in it's side. He paused, and looked at the house, close enough to touch. 

This wasn't smart of him, not at all. Who knew what was in the house? Maybe he should wait until the fire was out, and then sneak inside and steal some food, and be on his way. Then he wouldn't have to meet anyone new. 

It wouldn't work, though. Draco was swaying on his feet, his vision was blurry, and he wanted to escape from the relentless dark of the night. He wanted to be inside, and warm, and he wanted someone to help him. 

Harry was still awake too. He was awake, and worried, and Draco sighed. He had to find out who was in the small house, or he might never see his mate again. 

So he limped towards the door, heart in his throat, and managed to pull himself onto the doorstep. The red of the wood matched the red on his hands, and the omega felt a hysterical laugh bubbling inside his chest. Then, he pulled himself together, took a deep breath, and knocked. 

There was a moment of silence, and then a shuffling inside of the house. "Who's there?" a light voice called out, and Draco wanted to cry. He didn't want to say anything, he didn't know if he could. 

"Help me," he managed, although it was no more than a croak, but the person inside heard him and flung open the door. 

It was a woman, thank God. It was a kind-looking woman, with big eyes and big hair. God, her hair was the frizziest mess Draco had ever seen. It was worse than Harry's. She looked a bit like Harry, although her skin was a darker shade of brown and she had freckles spattered across her cheeks. She was looking at him in shock, too stunned by this stranger to say anything at all. 

Draco swayed, and started to fall, and the woman caught him. The omega could imagine how he looked to her. He was streaked with blood and mud, both caked on to him in even amounts. His hair was matted and tangled, and his eyes were wild, trying to look inside the house and behind him at the same time. 

He whined, a soft sound, purely omega, and was ashamed at his inability to control himself. The woman didn't mind, though. She stood up, carrying him as if he was a child, and brought him inside. 

The house was, well, homey. There was hand-stitching everywhere, and the fire made the whole room red and orange. It was so nice, so comforting, and Draco almost wanted to start sobbing again, this time with relief. The woman locked the door, with three separate bolts, and then laid Draco out on a couch. "Wait here," she said, and then rushed off. 

She came back with washcloths and a basin of water, and proceeded to strip Draco to his boxers. The omega liked the soft touches, kind and reassuring, and besides, he'd scented the air. The frizzy-haired woman was a beta, and didn't mean him any harm. 

She cleaned him off, each swipe of the cloth taking away layers of grime, and then gave him fluffy pants and a big shirt to sleep in. Before she let him put them on, she bandaged his ankle, and his side, and his head. "I'll make you something for the pain tomorrow," she murmured, and Draco closed his eyes, exhaustion washing over him. "For now, sleep," she said, and the omega nodded. 

She turned to leave, gathering her things, and Draco mustered the strength to open his eyes for a few seconds longer. "Wait," he croaked, and she turned around. "What's your name?"

"Hermione Granger. Now sleep, omega, heal."

Draco's eyes fell closed of their own bidding, each lid feeling like it weighed a thousand pounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hermione makes her first appearance!!
> 
> Her being here is one of the reasons this is one of my favorite chapters. I'm not going to update the tags for a day or so, so she'll be a surprise for the first group of people to read this chapter. 
> 
> I also just enjoyed attempting to write the kind of paralyzing fear I've only felt a few times in my life, where I'd go to the corner of my room and tremble and cry until I felt better. It was just when I was young, and I think technically they were panic attacks, but they pretty much stopped when I went into middle school. Anyways, I hope I portrayed it well. I also liked writing stabbing Fenrir Greyback. Fuck that guy. 
> 
> Confession: I took a bit of inspiration from Kesha's new song, "Woman" for Draco's line "I'm a motherfucking omega". Go listen to it if you haven't yet, it's really good. 
> 
> If you guys liked this chapter, leave comments and kudos below! Comments are what give me these crazy late night inspiration sprees, so... if you want chapters out earlier comment ;) 
> 
> Finally, thanks for all the support on this fic! I never thought I'd write something that would reach over 10,000 hits, 100 comments/bookmarks, and 700 kudos! It's an honor. Love you all.


	9. Dreaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco needs to get back to Harry, no matter the cost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I didn't post last week, guys. Honestly I needed a break from writing, just from a little bit. Hope this makes up for that a tad, and you all like the chapter!

"There are men looking for me," Draco said wearily. "I need to go home, to my mate, so they can't take me away from him for good." 

He was clutching a cup of tea as he sat at Hermione's kitchen table, trying to explain to her why he had arrived at her doorstep in the middle of the night. It smelled good, like some sort of berry mixed with caramel. He didn't drink it, though. He just held it. The warmth felt comforting in a strange way, like he was a step closer to being home, in his own bed, with his own cup of tea and Harry. 

His head pounded rhythmically, in time with his heart. It had softened from sharp pain to simply a dull throb, but it was still an absolute pain in the ass and hurt like hell. His ankle was even more messed up. Hermione had fussed over it when he'd woken, and eventually prescribed a tight wrap, rest, and cold. She'd wound a freezing cold towel around it, which was still there, making his skin turn pink. 

As for his sides, the beta had said he'd probably fractured a rib. Those healed mostly on their own though, so he just had to be careful and not do any somersaults in the near future. That didn't seem like it would be much of an issue. 

"I'm going to need more information than that," Hermione said, sipping from her own cup of tea. 

So Draco told her. He told her mostly everything--how his father had had an Auction for him, against his wishes. How Harry had saved him from Tom, and brought him back to his home. How at first he'd been scared and angry, and quarreled with Harry. How he'd had his heat, and Harry had proved himself virtuous and kind. 

He told Hermione how they'd started to grow closer, and then how Fenrir had come and stolen him away. How he'd thought he escaped, but realized he had run into a trap instead. 

He told her how he stabbed Fenrir, and looked down at his hands. They trembled like leaves in the wind, like reeds by the side of the pond he'd swam in with Harry just a day ago. 

He told her how he'd jumped out of the carriage, hurting himself in the process, and then started to run. How he'd run and run until he thought he would die, and then saw her house, and run towards it. 

He didn't tell her some things, though. He didn't tell her how Harry had held him when he bolted at the Auction, how he'd calmed Draco down and protected him from his father. He didn't tell her about watching Narcissa fade into the distance when he left Malfoy Manor. He didn't tell her about Ginny, his first real friend, or Mrs. Weasley, the kindest woman he'd ever known. He didn't tell her about purring in Harry's arms, or how tears came to his eyes when he thought of how lucky he was to have found this Alpha. 

No, he didn't tell her everything. Some things he kept for himself, nestled close to his heart, cherished and preserved. 

He didn't tell her about the ache deep in his chest, either. It was so intense it almost hurt, and he knew what it was. It was longing, and want, and loneliness, and worry. Harry was miserable looking for him, and Draco could feel every ounce of that misery. He wished, for what seemed like the millionth time, that he knew the secret of speaking through bonds. It would be relieving for both of them if he could just reach out and tell Harry he was safe now. 

When he'd finished speaking he looked back down at his tea and took a long sip, trying to ignore the way Hermione seemed to be tearing up. It was a bit awkward, really, to tell someone how shitty your life had been. Even if they had saved your life. 

"Well," she said after a moment, "I think it's really imperative that we get you back to Harry, then. I know where the Potter Mansion is, it's about a day's ride from here on horseback. I don't have any horses, but I can go to my neighbor's and get two today. His name is Neville, and he's always willing to lend me what I need. We can set off tomorrow morning, if you'd like." 

Draco thought that over for a moment, and then shook his head. "No. It'd be safer for us to travel overnight. We need to leave as soon as possible. I don't know when Tom will figure out that I've escaped from Fenrir. He probably already has. He could have his men searching the area for me right now."

"Alright, so we'll leave tonight. You rest while I go to Neville's. You need to recuperate from your injuries. It'd be best if you try and sleep, alright?" 

Draco wasn't going to be able to sleep, not with the bond aching as it was, but he smiled and nodded anyways. Hermione didn't need to know how hard this was for him, just sitting here. Every fiber of his being told him to get up and start walking in the direction of the mansion until he ran into Harry. 

"How do you know where Harry's house is?" Draco asked as Hermione began to prepare to leave, tilting his head to the side. That seemed strange, to say the least. 

"Well there aren't many mansions in this area," the beta pointed out, bustling around the kitchen and packing herself a bag lunch. "The Potters used to be the richest people around here, sort of like lords. They were kind people though, and always did their best to help those less fortunate then they were." 

"What happened?" Draco asked. This was the first time he'd heard anything about Harry's parents. It hadn't come up in conversation at all, which, now that he thought about it, was rather strange. They'd certainly talked about Lucius and Narcissa enough. 

"I don't know," Hermione shrugged. "They died somehow. I knew their son still lived at the mansion, but I didn't know he had a mate. He seems to keep to himself these days." 

"I'm his mate," Draco said blankly, looking down at his tea. Why did Hermione know more about Harry's past than he did? He tried to brush away the tinge of hurt that came with that realization, so he could focus on the task at hand. "When will you be back from your neighbor's?" 

"Mid-afternoon," Hermione said, tying a string tightly around the bag that contained her lunch. "I'm going to lock the doors, alright? Don't let anyone in. There are groups of Alphas that roam this area looking to find mated omegas and betas, so they can ransom them off to their Alphas. They probably won't come here, but your best bet is just to lay low anyways."

Draco nodded, and watched Hermione bolt up the three locks on the front door before she left through the back, locking that from the outside. As she left, she seemed to suck the air from the entire house. Draco was surprised to find himself acutely aware of how alone he was. 

He'd never been alone, not really. When he was a child he was always surrounded by servants, and now that he lived with Harry there was always someone hanging around near him. But here, in the middle of the open fields, there was no one to talk to. No one to lean on. 

Loneliness washed over him in crashing waves, forcing him to stand up and try to walk around in an attempt to fend it off. Where was his Alpha? Where was Harry? He sat down after a moment and cradled his head in his hands, trying to make sense of the situation. 

As he did so, the bond seemed to physically twinge, pulling his attention to it. There was a strange feeling coming across, like Harry was focused on reaching towards something. Like all his focus was on this one thing, something very important to him. 

Oh. Draco sucked in a breath as he realized Harry was desperately reaching across their bond for him and he closed his eyes, reaching out as well. It seemed like they were stretching their arms out across a chasm, one that was a hundred feet wide. But every second that they concentrated, they came closer and closer to one another, until they were so close they could almost touch, and then--

Draco's whole body shuddered as something snapped, and Harry's essence flowed into his mind. Suddenly, they weren't in separate places at all. No, he could feel his Alpha's warmth, and maybe even hear his voice. "Harry?" he thought tentatively, trying to see what this meant. But there was no response. Apparently the rumored telepathic powers of old mates were just that, rumors. 

But still, this was so nice. Harry's feelings were much clearer now, and when Draco kept his eyes closed it really did feel like his Alpha was sitting next to him. Waves of worry were the first thing he felt, and Draco tried his best to soothe them, to make sure Harry knew he was away from danger, at least for now. 

Harry was observant though, as always, and picked up on the loneliness and fear that plagued Draco. His worry persisted, overwhelming the omega until he had to open his eyes and stop the new immersion they had discovered. 

That simple moment had exhausted Draco, and he lay back, miserably staring at the ceiling. He couldn't even maintain an open bond with his Alpha for more than a few moments. What kind of mate was he? One that caused more trouble than he was worth, that's for sure. 

He closed his eyes, imagining it would be for just a moment, and fell asleep. 

In his dreams, he was looking out of Harry's eyes, as had happened before. Ron and Ginny were with him, and they were in the kitchen, yelling over each other. 

"If Draco's been kidnapped by some crazy, perverted Alpha, we need to save him," Ginny argued furiously. Her face was bright red, clashing with her hair, as she gestured wildly with her hands. "There's no way we can let him be taken away from us," and here she faltered, "away from Harry, I mean."

Ron took a deep breath and exploded with "of course we have to save him, if he's been stolen away. But we need some plan of action, Ginny, we can't just go storming off into the night. Harry's been feeling how scared he is, so I agree we need to do something, but let's sit down and fucking figure out what that is before we do it!"

Harry was exhausted, Draco could feel it. His hands came up and carded through his hair, which was messier than usual. "He feels less scared now," he said hoarsely. "There was a surge of terror and excitement around a half hour ago, and then he was--I think he was running somewhere. Now he feels..." Harry broke off and shook his head. 

"What?" Ginny demanded, turning on Harry, with her hands on her hips. "Is he alright?"

"He's in pain and struggling," Harry snapped, his voice raising as he did so. "Is that what you want to hear? He's trying to hold on, but he's running out of energy, and I can feel it. He's going to pass out soon. We need to get the fuck out of here and find him!" 

"Well, can you feel where he is?" Ron asked reasonably, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. 

"No," the Alpha said, looking down. "I've never been able to with our bond. Something's wrong with me, I think. Maybe what he said on that first day was right. I'm not much of an Alpha at all." 

"Shut up," Ginny groaned. "You're an Alpha, Harry. You just don't abuse your power. And you know as well as I do that all bonds are different."

"Maybe it's because we don't have a proper Pack," Ron said quietly, crossing his arms, and both Harry and Ginny looked at him. "What? You both know it as well as I do. Harry is a naturally born leader, he deserves a Pack, but we don't have one. I'm his second in command, and Draco is his omega, but Ginny's only one beta. We need more people to form a Pack."

"Packs are few and far between these days," Harry sighed. 

Ginny cocked her head to the side. "Yes, but if we had more people, we could have one like your parents did. They were legendary. And it would be nice, to have a bigger family. Draco would like it."

Harry interrupted the conversation by standing up, knocking his chair over in his haste. "Draco's found someone," he said, eyes wide. "I can feel it. He's relieved, and feels safe. Thank god. We still need to find him, though."

"That's good to hear, Harry. Let's go to the village tomorrow morning and see if there's anyone who's seen him," Ron suggested. "We can rest tonight and regroup. Then, tomorrow at dawn, we find who's taken him in."

"I second that," Ginny said. "I'm exhausted, Harry. I want to find him just as much as you do, but Ron's right, I suppose." (She said this quite begrudgingly.) "We're no good to him sleep deprived and half-crazed."

"I need to find him," Harry mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "I love him, Ginny. I didn't get to tell him before this happened. He's my mate. I feel like there's a hole in my chest that anyone can look into and see there's something missing."

"Just try and sleep," Ginny said gently, and Draco woke up, although it felt more like falling. 

Hermione was standing next to where he'd fallen asleep on the couch, one hand outstretched to shake him gently. The omega jerked away, drawing in a shuddering breath and trying to make sense of where he was. It all came crashing back at once, and he blinked, then drew in a sharp breath of air. 

"Harry decided to come into town last night," he said with no preamble, sitting up. "He said he'd be there at the crack of dawn to ask people if they'd seen me. We need to go now, Hermione, before we miss him, or he gives up. Do you have the horses?"

"Yes," Hermione said, and helped him up and off of the couch. Draco appreciated how she didn't ask questions, didn't asked how he knew any of that, just went about packing herself a bag as quickly as she could and helping him get ready to go. All the while, his heart raced and he tried not to think too much about everything else he had heard in his dreams. 

The mare Hermione had borrowed for him was sturdy and looked reliable. Her fur was copper colored, and shone in the light, but her mane was matted and dirty. Her name was Guinevere, and once Draco had gotten up on her back he could tell she was strong. Not a beauty, like Harry's horses, but a trooper. For some reason, the omega felt a strong sense of kinship with the animal. 

"Guinevere will follow Hercules," Hermione told Draco, and set her own tawny horse into a light trot. Guinevere did, in fact, seem to just follow the other horse, so all Draco was left to do was ride silently and stew in his thoughts. 

What was Pack? Harry, Ginny, and Ron had all seemed to be familiar with the concept, but Draco had no inkling of what it entailed. Ginny had even mentioned Harry's parents in connection to it, which was the second time they'd come up recently. He needed to ask Harry about it when they saw each other again. 

Also. Harry had said he loved Draco. 

The thought was so private that the omega tried to shy away from it, tried not to think about it, but failed miserably. He had heard it much to soon, even though he hadn't meant to. But the way Harry had described the pain of being separated was so accurate. And really, could Draco say he didn't love his Alpha? Because this longing, this affection, well, it felt more like love than anything he'd ever felt before. 

He was left with these whirling thoughts as they rode for hours, as the sun began to drop and the haze of twilight settled over the fields. The peaked roofs of the town began to emerge in the distance, and Draco relaxed minutely. He would be back with Harry, soon, and all would be alright. 

That's what he thought, anyways, until a group of shadowy figures seemed to emerge from nowhere, forcing Hercules and Guinevere to rear up and stop. 

"Get off of yer horses," a gruff voice said, and Draco felt slightly sick as he recognized the scent wafting through the air. It was the scent of unmated Alpha, multiplied by ten. They were in trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's a cliffhanger. Don't hate me. 
> 
> Some quick info: "Pack" is an element that will be explained more in coming chapters, so don't feel bad if you don't totally get it right now. 
> 
> Also, in Draco's dream he was seeing what Harry was up to during the events of last chapter, not this one! Sorry if that was vague, I tried to write it as well as I could.
> 
> Please leave comments if you liked <3 and kudos! Last chapter's response was amazing. The next two chapters are going to be intense, so get ready for that. See you next week... (love you guys!)


	10. Rogues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is SO RARE. I can't believe I'm posting two chapters so closely together. Honestly, I was too impatient to write and publish this to wait until Monday. The chapter is shorter than usual, but it always was planned to be, so I'm not really sorry about that. 
> 
> If you haven't read my last chapter, it was just posted two days ago, so go read that! This is an uncharacteristically quick update! 
> 
> Quick warning for violence and non-intensely described gore. 
> 
> Please enjoy...

"You should leave us alone," Draco said, making his voice as steely as possible. "I don't think you quite understand who we're are. It'd be best to let us go on our way."

A hand grabbed his ankle and he screamed as he was pulled off of his horse, the blunt force on his already-injured joint sending pain shooting up his leg. He landed hard on the ground, and the air was knocked out of him for a moment. The dirt was wet where it pressed against his cheek, as he struggled to draw in a breath. It must've rained earlier. 

"Draco!" Hermione shouted, and then there was another resounding thump as she was thrown to the ground. Guinevere and Hercules neighed nervously, and one of the Alphas slapped Draco's horse on the rear as hard as he could. It sent Guinevere into a full gallop, and Draco watched with a sinking heart as Hercules followed. There went their only means of escape. 

"We know who you are," the nearest Alpha grunted, and hauled Draco off of the ground. The man was big and bulky, with bushy ginger hair and an unruly beard. He also had a mess of deep scars cutting through his cheek and forehead. Mentally, the omega immediately named him Scarface. "You're an omega. I can smell it on you."

"A mated omega," Draco spat, trying not to put too much pressure on his ankle as he attempted to writhe his way out of the iron grip Scarface had on his arm. "I'm bonded, you asshole."

Scarface growled and grabbed Draco by his hair, yanking his head to the side and exposing his bond bite. The omega hissed at being forced into such a submissive position, and renewed his struggles as the Alpha inspected the bite. 

"Newly bonded," he announced to the rest of the Alphas. "An easily replaceable mark."

Draco snarled at the insult, a sound that seemed to come from deep in his chest and echoed across the field. The Alphas froze for a moment, and then Draco was thrown to the ground once again, particularly viciously this time. 

As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could make out more of the Alphas surrounding him and Hermione. There were two women. One was thickly built, with short black hair and a pudgy face. Draco named her Biter, because she looked remarkably similar to a pitbull. The other was taller, tanner, and skinnier, but she also looked stronger. She could be Assface, for no particular reason, just because Draco was pissed and in a lot of pain. 

The others were all men. Cyclops (who had an eye patch), Douche (who was sporting a man bun), Runt (who seemed like he was younger than Draco), Four Eyes (who was wearing hideous glasses), Dumbass (who just looked dumb), Cowboy (who had a ridiculous hat on), Grunt (who looked like an actual ogre), and Fuckass (who was pinning Hermione to the ground with one foot).

They were a group of rogue Alphas. Draco had heard of them before, but hadn't thought he'd ever come into contact with their type. They roamed the countryside looking for unmarked omegas and betas, so they could fuck them with little to no repercussions. It was horrible, and although Draco was trying to fight it, he could feel fear welling up in his chest. Did he escape Fenrir just to be raped by these bozos?

Dimly, he heard Hermione pleading with the Alphas. "He doesn't know what he's saying," she was trying to explain. "He's been separated from his mate and it's having such a horrible effect, he didn't mean any disrespect. Please let us go. He's bonded, really, there's no point in this."

Fuckass reached down and hauled Hermione up by her hair, making her yell out in pain. Draco tried to get up, but Scarface kicked him in his ribs and he gasped, curling into a ball. The pain was blinding, and ricocheted through his nervous system. He tried to think of a way out of this, but he could barely move. Agony muddled his thoughts, made him slow and dumb until finally it subsided and he could breathe again. 

"Well, boss, it looks like we've got one unbonded beta and a very beat up omega," Cyclops hissed. Draco wasn't surprised to find that he sounded like he smoked twelve packs a day. "Lucky haul?"

Scarface turned, and Draco took advantage of the moment to scramble to his feet, one hand clutching his ribs. Fear and adrenaline were coursing through his veins and equal measure, and he curled one hand into a fist. The other was clutching his side as tightly as he could. "You're all pathetic," he said, his voice surprisingly clear. "You don't deserve a mate. You don't even deserve to be alive. All you do is take pleasure from the pain of others. You're horrible human beings."

Scarface growled, and the other Alphas drew in closer to Draco. Fuckface dragged Hermione along with him, the beta hissing and scratching at his arm. All semblance of reason was gone from her features. Draco sunk into a fighting position as the Alphas walked closer, fully aware that he was going to lose this fight but unwilling to submit to these assholes. 

"I'm going to fuck you, omega, in your creamy omega cunt," Scarface declared. "Im going to fuck you so hard, whatever Alpha you're connected to will feel it through that shiny new bond of yours. And then I'm going to let my pack fuck you. You're going to be left absolutely ruined."

"You can go di-"

"I'm not sure you'll be doing any fucking any time soon, actually," a deep voice interrupted. "Not when I'm going to cut your cock off and feed it to you."

Draco's heart stopped. He knew that voice. He whirled around, looking for its owner, and saw him. 

His mate. Sat on top of one of his horses, with Ron and Ginny riding behind him. There were other men there too, men that Draco didn't recognize, but he didn't care. He didn't even know where to begin describing what he was feeling. "Harry," he choked out, and then there was a hand around his neck and he was pulled flush against Scarface. 

"Brave claim," the Alpha snarled, as Draco's hands scrabbled at his throat in an attempt to break the iron grip cutting off his air supply. "I'm surprised we didn't hear you ride up, Alpha. Is this your mate?"

Harry looked scarier than Draco had ever seen him before. His face was drawn tight and furious, all sharp lines and shadow. He was the true image of a terrifying Alpha, one that would kill anyone he wished to get what he wanted. It was frightening for most, but Draco simply felt an extreme sense of relief. Harry would save him. 

"He is," Harry said, his voice deceptively calm. "Let him go, now, and I'll let you cowards escape. Let the beta go, too."

"It's ten of us against six of you," Biter piped up. "How about we take the omega and the beta and leave, and you don't die? We can mate the bitch during his next heat, don't worry. You won't be bonded long."

Ginny opened her mouth as if to say something, but then Harry roared. It was a majestic sound, long and furious and so dominant that Draco actually whimpered. "Harry," he cried out once again, Scarface's grip loosening slightly, and his mate looked at him. His expression contorted into something different, and then he looked at Scarface once more. 

"Last chance," he growled. Scarface laughed, a sickening sound, and pulled out a dagger. 

"Bare your neck, little omega," the Alpha ordered. Draco shuddered, the man's disgusting breath wafting over him. He would never submit to such a lesser person. "Bare it," he snarled again, "or I'll slit your throat right now. Show this asshole--Harry, is it?--who's really in charge."

"Go die," Draco croaked out, and everything around him exploded into motion. 

Ron and Ginny both swung off of their horses, and were swarmed by Alphas. The men behind them backed them up, as they all drew swords, and within moments most of the rogues were dead. Fuckface was kicked to the ground, and Ron gathered Hermione in his arms, leading her away from the carnage. 

Draco watched Ginny slit Douche's throat and then stab Runt in the stomach. A man behind her sliced off Assface's arm, and then cleaved off Grunt's head in one quick motion. It was bloody, and disgusting, but some part of him was extremely satisfied. This was his family, coming to protect him. This was love. 

And then his attention was drawn to Harry, who dismounted and was slowly strolling towards him and Scarface, swinging a sword by his side and looking like death incarnate. Scarface let Draco go with a snarl and turned to run. 

Draco watched as Harry threw his sword, and it hit Scarface square in the back, sending him toppling into the dirt. The omega grinned, victorious, and then swayed on his feet. The battle was over, so quickly. 

"Draco," Harry said, his face collapsing, and the omega ran to his Alpha, limping somewhat. Right before he reached him, he fell onto his knees and wound his hands behind his back just like a proper society omega would, kneeling for the first time in his life, at Harry Potter's feet. 

"Harry," he said, half a sob, as he looked up at his mate. The Alpha was frozen for a long moment, and then reached down and pulled him into the tightest hug he'd ever had. 

"You're mine," Harry breathed, dominance and adrenaline rushing through his veins. "No one will ever take you from me again, Draco Malfoy. You are mine, and I love you more than anything in this world."

"I love you too," Draco said quietly, his breath hitching on unshed tears. "And you're also mine. Mine forever. My mate." The Alpha laughed, a watery sound, and then Draco began to sway in his arms. 

"Draco? Are you alright? Draco!"

But the omega had already collapsed, the world going black before his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AhhHhHh!
> 
> Well, that was a wild ride. I have to admit, it hurt my heart to keep Harry and Draco apart. Also, the end of this chapter isn't supposed to be a cliffhanger. It's just Draco passing out from exhaustion. 
> 
> Quick world building note: in this semi-medieval AU, there's no police or anything to persecute murders. There's a vague legal system, but obviously it's not great or Harry would've gone to the police to find Draco. Alphas fighting is accepted as a way of life, and when Alphas die in these fights it's just a side effect of clashing dominance. Whoever wins is the stronger Alpha, and deserved to win (in society's eyes). So there's really no issue with Harry, Ron, and Ginny basically slaughtering those rogues.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed! Please leave comments/kudos (I kind of feel like I deserve it for updating so quickly? Love me...) and get ready for another update on Monday!


	11. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco is finally safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! It's been a while since I've updated, but what with school starting soon and everything I've had to do to get ready, I haven't had much time to write. Plus I've been editing this chapter, trying to get it perfect. I think you'll all like it!
> 
> Warning: there may or may not be some measure of smut ahead. Read at your own risk.

Draco came to abruptly, his eyes flying open and his lungs sucking in a deep breath of air. Someone was holding him tightly, one arm wrapped around his back, and he pulled in a sharp breath, ready to struggle. With that breath, however, came the warmth of Harry's scent. It flooded his senses and reflexively forced his muscles to relax into his mate's chest. 

They were riding on horseback, the jostling motion quite familiar to Draco by now. Harry had him pinned to his chest with his left arm, so Draco's face was pressed against the fabric of his shirt. Harry was sweaty, and the cotton was damp, but instead of feeling repulsed, Draco whined under his breath and nuzzled into his mate. It felt so good to be completely surrounded by his Alpha, protected and held and reassured. 

Almost as soon as he'd gone boneless in Harry's arms the horse pulled to a stop, and Draco looked up to see the high arches of their home towering above them. "How long," he tried to say, but it just came out as a croak. He cleared his throat and looked up, meeting Harry's bright green eyes. "How long have I been out for?"

"Just over half an hour, probably," the man murmured, bringing a hand up to cup his mate's cheek. "We assumed you were exhausted, from everything you've gone through. Stabbing Fenrir, all that running..."

"How do you know about that?" Draco asked, shaking his head slowly and trying to clear the fuzziness flooding his mind. He felt slow, like every limb in his body was completely and utterly weighed down. Harry shifted, as if to get off the horse, and Draco leaned into him to stop the movement. He just wanted to sit for a little while longer. 

"Well, I have dreams about you too," Harry pointed out, his brow furrowing as he looked down at Draco. "It's not a one way road, darling, we have the same bond."

Draco shook his head again, feeling as raw and vulnerable as if his skin had been stripped from his muscles. "I want to go inside," he whispered, clutching Harry's shirt as tightly as he could. The adrenaline that had run so rampantly through him the last few days was weaning away as quickly as it had come. It left him exhausted. 

Harry moved swiftly, gathering his omega into his arms and sliding off the horse. Before they reached the doors of their house, they swung open, and a ginger blur burst out, running towards them. 

"Draco," Mrs. Weasley cried out as soon as she reached them, and he turned his head towards her, trying to smile reassuringly. "Are you alright? Oh, I've been so worried. Did anyone hurt you? I'll hunt them down right now, and--"

"He's fine," Harry interjected carefully, pulling Draco closer to his chest. He felt taut against the omega, still tense and thrumming with nervous energy. Somehow, they both knew they wouldn't totally be able to relax until they were safe in their own room, alone. "I know we both appreciate your worry, Molly, and I don't mean to rush you or push you away, but I want to get Draco upstairs."

Mrs. Weasley stepped back and nodded slowly, smiling back at Draco. The blond didn't have time to say anything before Harry was bringing him inside, and up the stairs, and then they were in their room and everything seemed right for the first time since Draco had seen Fenrir in the woods.

Harry let Draco down from his arms carefully, locking their door before turning back to his omega. They crashed together almost instantly, lips tangling and devouring in an attempt to get as close as they possibly could. "Harry," Draco gasped, tears in his eyes as he pulled away for a quick breath. "I need--want you, now, please. Want to feel safe, with you, here--"

His Alpha stopped his blabbering with another kiss, slower and calmer this time. "Let's take a bath," he suggested, running a hand through Draco's beautiful hair. "I want to wash you, soothe those injuries we both know you have."

Well, that sounded nice too. Draco nodded, dropping his head out of pure exhaustion and letting himself lean against Harry. The darker haired man bent down and kissed the top of Draco's head, taking him by the hand and leading him to the bathroom. 

Harry undressed Draco reverently, unbuttoning each article of clothing and pressing soft kisses along each stretch of naked skin. His own clothes he discarded quickly, throwing them aside, before looking at Draco with those dark eyes and kissing him once again. Draco was still shaky, but every comforting touch helped him to relax one small bit more. 

As his shirt fell to the floor, the bruises and discoloration littering his chest were revealed. Harry growled, a deep rumbling, and skimmed the top of his fingers across each dark mark. A small whimper escaped Draco's throat, but when Harry looked up, his brow creased with worry, the omega just smiled softly. 

The silence the room was draped seemed almost holy, so much so that Draco didn't want to break it with words. He did though, as Harry helped him out of his pants and saw his swollen ankle. "It's not as bad as it looks," he said, trying to stop his mate from worrying. "Really, it doesn't hurt anymore. Not as much, anyways. I can stand on it just fine." 

"Mrs. Weasley is going to look at all your injuries tomorrow and make sure you're alright," Harry said firmly. "I can feel that it's hurting you, Draco. You don't have to lie to me."

"I just want to be strong," he whispered, tears pooling in his eyes as he looked to the ground. "I've been strong, I promise, but..." the guilt he felt at wrenching away from the bond earlier in the day, when he'd felt Harry as if he'd been sitting next to him, plagued him even now. 

"I know you've been strong," Harry soothed, cupping Draco's cheek in his hand. "My brave omega. I'm proud of you. But you can be strong and also be hurt. Trust me, please. Let me take care of you."

"Okay," Draco said, his voice catching. Harry filled the bath with warm water and they climbed in, together in their nakedness. Draco slotted himself between Harry's legs as they settled down, sitting so his back was pressed against his mate's chest. 

Harry began to wash him slowly, first running a bar of lavender soap over his arms. Draco let Harry work the soap into a lather with his hands, enjoying the feel of his Alpha's rougher skin caressing his own. It was peaceful, the quiet sound of splashing water resonating throughout the room. A deep ache in Draco's chest cried out for more, to be roughly claimed by his mate, but at the moment all he truly wanted was this. Harry's warmth and kind hands, reminding him of who he truly was. 

As Harry started on his chest, Draco became acutely aware of just how staunchly his scent was filling the room. "You're scenting me quite enthusiastically," he laughed, dropping his head back so it laid on Harry's shoulder. "You may be going a bit overboard."

Harry smiled sheepishly, the look of concentration on his face melting into something more laid back. "I'm still feeling a bit overprotective," he admitted. "Even though you're here, and in my arms. I want everyone to know that you're mine."

"You're mine too," Draco reminded him lazily, arching his chest into the soft touches of the soap. "Don't forget that."

"I could never forget," Harry murmured, and leaned down to kiss his mate for the hundredth time that night. It was a bit awkward, with Draco's positioning, but it was sweet all the same. Still, when Harry pulled away Draco found himself wanting more. 

"I've been feeling out of sorts too," the omega admitted quietly, looking away from Harry as a soft blush made its way to his cheeks. "Submissive. I want to be held down and smothered by you. The scenting is nice, really. It let's me feel you everywhere."

"Everywhere?" Harry asked, his eyes dark with interest now, completely focused on Draco. 

"Yes. I want you everywhere. I want you here." Draco guided Harry's hand to his chest. "And here." He brought the hand up to his mating mark, letting Harry feel the rough edges of the scarred tissue. "But mostly, I want you here," and the omega guided his mate down to in between his legs, shuddering as Harry's hand grazed his length. He pulled his hand deeper, and let the tips of his fingertips graze across his tight ring of muscle. 

"Jesus, Draco," Harry breathed, running a finger around the rim of his omega's hole. "Are you sure?" He wanted it so badly, wanted to claim him and mark him and show the whole world that Draco was his. But they had never gone father than lazy handjobs late at night, not since Draco's heat. 

"It's all I want," the omega admitted, his heart beating an unsteady rhythm deep in his chest. "I want you deep inside me, tearing me apart, absolutely ruining me. Please, Harry." He couldn't help but thrust up into Harry's hand as his cock filled, all the blood abandoning his brain in favor for his crotch. 

"Jesus," his mate breathed again, and picked Draco up and out of the bathtub. They were still dripping wet as Harry led Draco onto the bed, making sure to be careful with his most tender spots. The omega crawled back until he was resting on the pillows and then shyly spread his legs, letting Harry see his hard cock and the tight pink pucker residing below it. 

Harry moaned, unable to help himself at the decadent sight. He couldn't get across the bed fast enough, pushing Draco's legs up to get at his delicious hole. Without preamble, unable to help himself, he buried his face in between his mate's cheeks and swiped his tongue across his cleft. 

Dear god, Draco almost screamed at the sensation. It was so hot, so wet, so unlike anything he'd ever felt before. "Harry," he almost sobbed, arching his hips into that wicked mouth. "It feels so good, please, Harry, more--" and his mate obliged, licking like his life depended on it. 

A gush of slick escaped the omega, making him gasp and tremble in Harry's grip. He had never been so aroused that he'd produced slick, not unless he was in heat. It made him feel messy and depraved and amazing all at the same time. He was somewhat afraid that Harry would stop the wonderful things he was doing with his tongue because of it, but the Alpha groaned loudly and simply began to lick up his slick as well. 

"You're delicious," Harry said, pausing and looking up at Draco. His eyes were a little unfocused, like he was completely and utterly distracted by how good it felt to eat his mate out. "I want to fuck you so badly."

"Please, please," Draco begged, fisting his hands in his long, silver hair. "Please, Harry, Alpha--" 

"Shhh," his mate comforted, moving up to kneel with one leg on either side of Draco's hips. "Calm down, my darling. I'll give you what you want, I promise. I just need to make sure you're prepared." And with that, he carefully reached down and slid a finger into Draco's heat. 

The feeling was so good that it had Draco gasping for breath. Harry laid biting kisses along his collarbone as he fingered his mate open, quickly adding two fingers and stretching him languidly. The stretch burned at first, but Draco soon found himself pushing back on Harry's fingers and begging for more. He wanted to take Harry, to be filled and claimed by his mate in a way he never had been before. No one else: not Tom, not Fenrir, no other Alpha could ever satisfy him the way Harry could. 

When his two fingers were easily sliding in and out of Draco's ass, squelching in the slick that continued to pour out of him, Harry added a third. It had Draco squirming on the bed, biting the inside of his cheek, but when those three fingers finally pressed up against something, a bump inside of him, the omega actually screamed and thrust up into Harry. "Touch me," he begged, and Harry quickly complied, sliding a hand along Draco's hard length. 

"Your cock is perfect," Harry murmured against Draco's ear, breath hot. "Everything about you is perfect. It's not fair. There should be a law against you. You're so tempting, Draco. I just want to fuck you, all the time. If there were no one else in the world that's all I would do, I swear. I'd fuck you all night and all day. I'd take you so many different ways, you wouldn't know what to do with yourself. God, I love you. I love everything about you."

The blonde growled, a sound that Harry had never heard an omega make before, and shoved Harry's hand off of his cock. "I'm going to cum if you keep saying things like that," he hissed, sounding absolutely wrecked. "Please, Harry. I want you inside of me."

Well, when he asked so nicely, how could Harry say no?

He lined himself up with Draco and paused, looking down at the omega laid out all for him. He was red and panting, silver hair splayed across the pillows, hands grasping at the sheets. It was beautiful. Perfection. 

"Stop gawking and fuck me. Please," Draco begged, arching his hips up, and Harry swore and began to push inside him. 

It felt so hot. That was the first thing Harry thought as he slowly eased his way inside of Draco, pausing every few seconds to give his mate time to adjust. It was hot, and tight, and wet. But it was good, too. Draco moaned, a strained sound, one that went straight to Harry's cock. "Faster," the omega gasped, and Harry obliged, pushing the rest of the way in in one slow slide. 

"Are you alright?" he asked once he was fully seated inside of Draco, beads of sweat running down his chest. Harry reached up and pushed a strand of damp hair out of Draco's eyes, a bit concerned. He never wanted to hurt his mate. 

"Amazing," Draco rasped, eyes dark and needy. "It doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Can't you feel it through the bond? How much I need you?" Harry could, that desperate yearning tugging at them both, and with a groan he pulled out, just to push back in. 

He set a steady rhythm, fucking into Draco slow and steady as he murmured sweet nothings to him and stroked his cock. It wasn't soul-shattering, but Harry could almost feel the bond strengthening with every thrust of his hips. They were coming closer together than they ever had been before, meeting each other mind and body. 

"I want it faster," Draco demanded, and Harry groaned, speeding up until he was rocking the bed with the force of his thrusts. Draco cried out and moaned, whimpering and gasping as he was fucked into the bedsheets. "Fuck," he yelled, "fuck, Harry, I love you so fucking much. Please, harder, harder, please, oh god, I'm going to--" and he exploded into an orgasm, painting his stomach with ropes of white cum.

Harry came soon after, shooting deep inside of Draco, and collapsed on top of him, panting. The omega shoved him off, grumbling about how heavy he was, and curled into his embrace. "No knot?" Draco teased hoarsely, pressing kisses to Harry's collarbone. 

"Only during heat," the Alpha replied. "Should I be worried about pregnancy?"

"Only during heat," Draco drawled. They laid together in companionable silence, kissing every once in a while, coming down from their highs. They were both sweaty and covered in cum, but as gross as it was it didn't seem worth it to get up. 

"I love you," Draco said, his voice small. "I didn't just say it in the heat of the moment. I really do love you. It scares me."

"It scares me too," Harry admitted, pressing a kiss to Draco's nose. "I love you so much that I don't think I'm a good person anymore."

"You're a good person," Draco replied indignantly. "The best."

"I killed someone today," the Alpha pointed out, sighing. "For you." Draco looked down. 

"It's alright," Harry said after a moment, pressing a chaste kiss to Draco's forehead. "Being a good person is overrated. I'll settle with being the person who protects you from everything from now on."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Draco smiled, running a finger down Harry's chest. "Not so bad at all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love them so much dear lord. 
> 
> Okay guys, from now on I think I'll be updating this fic every other Monday, because it takes a lot to write the 2500-3500 words I want for each chapter. However, to fill the void I'm thinking I'll start something new that will only be ~1000 words each chapter. Should I do:
> 
> A) an eighth year fic with a twist   
> B) a post-war fic in which Harry and Draco are both Aurors and have to work with each other more than expected  
> C) a cam boy fic in which Draco has turned to ~creative~ means to fufill war debts   
> D) instead of writing a new fic start accepting prompts for drabbles each week   
> E) other (tell me in your comment!)  
> F) don't start a new fic, just try to update this one as much as I can 
> 
> Comment below to let me know!!! I really want to try and branch out, so some sort of lower word count project every other week might be nice. Thank you all so much!! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, because I really feel like I'm not that great at writing smut, haha. Love yall!


	12. Exhibitionism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright y'all... enough people picked option F that I'm just going to try and keep updating on Mondays, although I in no way hold myself to that standard. We'll just have to see how everything works out. I'll use your feedback when this fic is over (if it ever is lmao) to write a new one!
> 
> There's smut in this chapter and some interesting shit happens. No trigger warnings. Hope y'all like!

"You're going to be my bitch," Tom said, one eyebrow raised. His calm was absolutely infuriating, and terrifying all at the same time. The man was sitting on a dark throne, surrounded by his cronies, looking devastatingly handsome. All Draco felt was revulsion. 

The omega struggled with his bonds, diamond chains that wrapped around his arms and legs. "I'll never let you touch me," he shouted, the words echoing off of every corner of the mirrored room. Draco could see his own wide eyes staring back at him from every angle, boring into his soul. 

Tom laughed. "But I already have," he whispered, and suddenly it was just him and Draco in the room, and Draco was kneeling at his feet. "Haven't you noticed?" He brought a clawed hand up to Draco's neck and caressed his bond bite. Only, it wasn't Harry's bond bite. It was Tom's, deeper and sharper around the edges. 

"No," Draco whispered, and then he began to scream. "No, Harry--" the walls started to close in on them, a thousand tortured Dracos coming closer and closer. 

Until, with a gasp, he woke up. 

Harry was already there as he opened his eyes, gathering Draco into his arms, soothing him even as he broke into stuttering sobs and begins to tremble. "It's alright," he murmured, petting Draco's long hair. His voice was still clogged with sleep, obviously having been woken by Draco's terror transmitting through the bond. "You're with me, Draco. You're alright."

It took several minutes for the omega to calm down. Harry's scent, rich and spicy, helped a lot as it surrounded him and blanketed him in warmth. Draco took several deep breaths in, wrapped tightly in Harry's arms, and finally spoke. "I dreamt that Tom had marked me," he said, his voice tight. "He bonded me." The smaller details of the dream were already beginning to fade away, but the big idea stuck. "He was touching me, and--" a wave of nausea struck Draco.

Harry growled, pushing Draco down until he was laying on his back and looking up at his mate. "No one touches you except me," he said, eyes narrow and possessive. "You don't have to worry about that anymore, Draco. You're mine." His strong hands pressed Draco into the bed, grasped his hips as his lips danced over the sensitive skin on the omega's neck. 

Draco closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax into Harry's embrace. His Alpha sucked hickies into his neck as they laid in bed, Draco lazily trailing a hand down Harry's bare back. The panic and horror from his nightmare trickled away slowly, his racing heart returning to its regular speed with time. Harry made his way down to Draco's collarbone, and then his chest, marking and scenting his skin so no one would mistake him for unbonded. 

Draco arched off of the bed and whined when Harry's mouth found his nipple, teeth tugging at the dusky bud playfully. One of his Alpha's hands found his entrance, and Harry slid two fingers into the heat awaiting there. "Still so wet and open for me," he murmured against Draco's chest. "Are you sore?"

"A little," he admitted, clenching around Harry's fingers. "You were so big, and I took all of you, so I think--" his words began to crash into each other as Harry's fingers started to move, eliciting a quiet moan from Draco. "Harry," he huffed, tangling his hands in his mate's hair. "'M gonna get hard."

"Maybe I want you to get hard," Harry said, eyes flashing mischievously. "It's not even light out yet. We have time to ourselves." Draco hummed at the idea, pulling Harry up by his hair into a kiss. 

"I want to watch the sunrise," Draco said instead, pinwheeling away from the ever-so-tempting idea of more sex. "Can't we go out on the balcony?" Harry pursed his lips in light disappointment, but pulled away to pick Draco up and carry him to their balcony. 

The morning air hitting his face was one of the best sensations Draco had ever felt. He breathed it in, all the freshness and purity of morning dew, and let his head drop onto Harry's shoulder. Something in his chest relaxed, a ball of tension he hadn't even known he'd been holding there. He was safe now, held by his warm Alpha in their den. 

"Let me down," Draco said, a small smile dancing around his lips. He could feel Harry's morning wood, an insistent hardness that had been pressing into various parts of him since the moment he'd woken up. Harry tilted his head and raised one eyebrow, and Draco could feel him reaching out through the bond to try and figure out what was about to happen. There was no need to, though. As soon as he was out of Harry's arms Draco was dropping to his knees. 

The omega took a second to nuzzle against Harry's cock, breathing in the musky smell of it. It was deeper than his normal scent, more animalistic and crude. Draco could feel himself getting achingly hard as he rubbed his face against Harry's length, letting out a small moan. Harry hissed, one of his hands shooting down to tangle in Draco's hair. It must've felt good, to be so throughly marking his omega with something that would positively scream 'sex' and 'lust' and 'Alpha' to anyone that came near Draco in the next few hours. 

Still, Harry was concerned about Draco after the events of the last few days. "You're hurt," he managed to get out, the task made harder by the open mouthed kisses being sloppily pressed along his cock. "You don't have to, you know, if you're in any pain--"

Draco rolled his eyes and pushed his arousal through the bond, one wave of lust that made Harry draw in a sharp breath of air. "Okay, okay, I get it, you're good, just--dear god, right there, fuck--" Draco smirked to himself and lightly tongued the tip of Harry's cock, little kitten licks that made the other thrust up into his mouth. 

It was exhilarating, to be doing this on the balcony, where anyone on the grounds could walk by and see them. It wasn't likely that anyone would, not at this time in the morning, but the idea gave Draco some measure of satisfaction. An animalistic part of him wanted someone to walk by, someone to know that his relationship with his Alpha was amazing, their bond stronger than ever. He wanted to prove himself to the whole world, and with that thought in his mind he took Harry into his mouth for the first time. 

The taste wasn't quite as he'd expected. It was a bit salty, but nothing too strong. It mostly just tasted like warmth and texture, like sucking on your own fingers. Harry was a mess, one hand cupping the back of Draco's head and the other tangled in his own hair as he swore under his breath. Only Draco could do this to him, make the strongest Alpha he'd ever known fall apart with just a touch of the lips. 

The bond was stronger in the throes of lust, something Draco had barely been able to appreciate the night before. Now, he could feel when Harry wanted more attention to the underside of his cock, or a hand pumping the base, or to grab either side of Draco's head and fuck his throat. That idea made a shock of excitement travel up the omega's spine, and he pushed his head forward, trying to communicate how much he wanted it. 

Harry was a bit slow on the uptake, lost in his own pleasure, but he eventually got the idea and moved both hands to cradle Draco's head. It started slowly, ever so slowly, just carefully shallow thrusts into the hollow of his mouth. Gradually Harry sped up, letting Draco get used to the feeling, and then he was fucking his mouth in earnest, short thrusts that glided across his tongue and made the omega whimper. 

He didn't go as far as to fuck Draco's throat, but it was probably for the best, at this point. He was already overwhelmed, lost in the sensation of being used and loved all at the same time, a chemical concoction that left him harder than he'd ever been in his life. 

When he began to hump the air, little aborted thrusts stemming purely out of desperation, Harry pulled Draco off of his cock and to his feet. "I want to fuck you against the railing," he said, his eyes glittering. "Make you scream so loudly everyone in the house will hear, will know who's making you feel so goddamn good."

"Please," Draco gasped, his knees going weak, and then he was being spun around to grip the cold railing. 

He was still open and loose from last night, and the slick gushing from his hole after that blowjob meant that Harry only had to finger him open briefly before pushing in in one long slide. Draco sobbed at the feeling, pushing back against his Alpha wantonly. "Shh," Harry whispered, his teeth catching at the lobe of Draco's ear. "I'm going to give you everything you need, love. Just take it." 

And with that he was being fucked into, fast, passionate, a whirlwind of feeling that had the omega screaming into the open air. He could see the entire grounds from this vantage point, and it felt freeing to just holler his pleasure into the wind. "More," he begged, "faster, harder, God, Harry--" his knuckles were turning white from how hard he was gripping the railing, trying to keep himself from slipping forward. Harry would catch him, he knew that, but the idea was still a bit terrifying. 

"Please, touch me," Draco gasped, feeling each of Harry's thrusts throughout his whole body, quakes of pleasure rippling across his skin. "Need it, need you, please," and thankfully his Alpha obliged, a hot hand wrapping around his cock and pumping his aching hardness. Draco was lost then, the pleasure too much to stay sane, and he dissolved into simply bracing himself and babbling whatever came to mind. 

With Harry fisting his cock and fucking his ass like this, it only took a few minutes for Draco to feel his orgasm building up deep in his gut. "I'm close," he moaned, and Harry pulled out all the way to the tip of his cock before slamming back in and biting at Draco's neck. 

"Say what you told me on that field," his Alpha growled, throaty and possessive. "Tell the whole world, Draco." 

"I love you," he keened, thrusting into Harry's hand desperately as he did so. "I love you so fucking much, Harry, more than anything in the world, God, I love you!" 

With that, they both came, Harry deep inside of his mate and Draco off of the balcony. The omega sagged almost instantly, and Harry caught him, turning him so he was pressed against his chest. "So perfect," the Alpha murmured, kissing across Draco's head. "Love you too, so much." Draco was trying to catch his breath and recover from that bone-shattering orgasm, when Harry spoke again, deceptively casually. 

"There's been two Alphas watching us since I started fucking you," he said, one hand curling into Draco's hair. "I don't know who they are, but they seemed rather flabbergasted by the proceedings, and I wasn't inclined to stop the show." Draco yanked back, shocked, and then turned in Harry's arms to look across the grounds. Yes, there, just off of the main road stood two people. They looked like Alphas, one was a girl, and--

"Oh my god," Draco gasped, blood rushing to his cheeks. "Blaise and Pansy."

Harry frowned when Draco tried to push past him, clearly wanting some more cuddling after their intense sex, but the omega was flooded with embarrassment and humiliation. "They're my two best friends," he cried as he ran into the room, hands flying to his head. "And they just saw me getting fucked within an inch of my life, oh my god. Why are they here? Why did they just watch that, dear lord?"

"They watched us the whole time," Harry purred, coming up behind Draco to wrap his arms around his mate. "Does that idea turn you on, love?" 

The omega's deep blush was enough to answer that question, but he pushed away his mate's hands to grab a bathrobe and cover himself. "Get dressed," he told Harry, combing his fingers through his hair nervously. "We should go see them, see why they're here." 

Within two minutes Draco was composed and ready to see his friends, dressed in simple black slacks and a sky blue silk shirt of Harry's. He ran downstairs, feet padding on the hardwood, and then flung open the door to meet see both Blaise and Pansy, Blaise's hand raised as if he was about to knock. 

There was an awkward silence as they all stared at each other, and then Pansy grinned. "I guess your new Alpha isn't that bad after all, huh?" Draco sighed in relief, breaking into a smile and falling into hugging Blaise, then hugging Pansy. 

"I missed you two," he said when he pulled away, embarrassed to find tears building up in his eyes. "Why didn't you come earlier? It's been two months, and I haven't even had a letter. I felt like..." he didn't finish the sentence. He'd felt abandoned, especially at first, when he and Harry didn't get along as well. 

"Oh, Draco," Blaise said, looking contrite. "Tom was furious that you didn't go with him. It would've been a death sentence to write to you, much less visit. We thought we'd give it some time, let him calm down before we came."

"Then why now?" Draco asked, wrapping his arms tightly around himself. Reminders of Tom were making him feel small and afraid.

"Because Fenrir Greyback showed up with a knife in his stomach and anyone with connections to Draco Malfoy had to get out of town," Pansy said wryly. "We weren't willing to tell him we'd never speak to you again, so we had to leave, probably for good." 

"So that asshole isn't dead?" Harry said lowly from behind Draco, making the omega jump. He wrapped an arm around Draco's shoulders, knowing the contact would soothe him with all the talk about Riddle. "I'm always glad to have friends of Draco here, but something about this seems a little off. Any reason you watched us for so long just now?"

"We wanted to make sure Draco really liked you," Blaise admitted, his cheeks turning red. "I swear it wasn't planned, but..." the two exchanged glances, before Pansy nodded and Blaise turned back to Harry. 

"We want to join your pack."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay just to clear something up that I was thinking about: there's pretty much no way to have a non-consensual accident happen when you're bonded. So Harry having sex with Draco in front of Blaise and Pansy isn't trickery or anything, he knows his mate's mind well enough to know it would turn him on, and although it would be slightly embarrassing it wouldn't be any sort of real issue. Draco doesn't mind or anything, and they'll probably play with exhibitonism in the future. I don't know why, just thought that was an important point to make. 
> 
> This is also one of the first chapters we really see Harry sinking into his Alpha side around Draco, apart from when he killed that dude, lmao. I think it's an interesting exploration into his character. 
> 
> It won't be all smut forever, there's still some issues to take care of. What's up with Harry's parents? Why doesn't Draco really know what Pack is? Rest assured though, there won't be any more huge drama. At least not for a couple chapters... ;)
> 
> I hope you guys all enjoyed this chapter! If you want me to try and update next week, leave a comment, because I legitimately write more when I get comments, lol. Sorry if there were grammar mistakes, I didn't edit too throughout. You can always politely let me know!!
> 
> Until next week!


	13. Home At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco has to readjust to normality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I am sincerely sorry about the extra long wait for this chapter. Getting back into school has been a really rough transition for me, and I just didn't have it in me to write or edit every night. Consequentially, this chapter is definitely under edited, but I couldn't bring myself to care, lmao. 
> 
> I know posting this now throws off the schedule, but hopefully I can have the next chapter up either this Tuesday/Wednesday or next Monday, and then get back to a semi normal schedule. 
> 
> Before we get into this chapter, I just want to say thank you to all my readers!!! Just so y'all know, the goal is to break 100k words on this fic, so it's officially longer than the Sorcerer's Stone. That means we have a long way to go!! This chapter sets up a lot of important details for the future, so don't skip!
> 
> Thanks all for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Okay, so, don't get Draco wrong, he was very happy to see his friends. Ecstatic, one might say. And yet, for some reason, when he heard Blaise say that he wanted to join Harry's pack, he had a complete knee-jerk reaction. 

"No," he said, taking a step back in surprise and looking to Harry. "I mean--I don't--you can't. I don't even know what a pack is, but you have to go home eventually. You can't stay here. Harry, they can't stay here, right?"

His Alpha looked unusually worried at that statement, reaching out and resting a hand on Draco's shoulder. "If you don't want them to, they won't," Harry reassured his mate, then glanced at Pansy and Blaise. "I don't invite people to join my pack casually. I also have no interest in having a large pack. If you want to stay around for a few months, feel out the area, you can. But unless Draco is alright with it, I'm not going to let two other Alphas join our ranks."

"We don't even have a pack," Draco protested, feeling a tad hysterical. "What is that? You can't stay here for months, your parents will be frantic. Tom will come after you."

"Why don't you know what a pack is?" Harry asked Draco quietly, tilting his head to the side. Those green eyes glinted in the morning sun, and for a second Draco was lost in their depths. 

"Because his education was under the hands of Lucius Malfoy," Pansy interrupted, a sneer rearranging her usually placid features. "He didn't want his omega son to know about anything that could empower him. Pack dynamics, how to handle a heat, what a double bond entailed. Hell, I'm pretty sure Draco still thinks a double bond is a myth. Blaise and I were threatened with never being able to see him again if we told him anything about omega life."

Draco's insides churned with confusion and betrayal at Pansy's words. His father had been lying to him about things everyone else knew? Or, at least, had been hiding things from him? 

"Leave," Harry said after a pause, squeezing his eyes shut as Draco's emotions surged through the bond. "Stay in town, if that's not too much to ask. Come back tonight when the sun sets. We can have dinner, discuss this more thoroughly." 

The two Alphas hesitated, but seemed to decide it was more dangerous to disobey Harry than to leave the mansion. "We'll see you soon, Draco," Blaise murmured, and reached out to pat his friend on the shoulder before walking out with Pansy. 

As soon as they were gone Draco turned to Harry, his hands shaking slightly. "Explain to me what they were saying," he demanded, his heart beating one second too fast. "What don't I know? What's going on?" For some reason, this smallest of events was overwhelming him, turning everything around him into swirls of black and grey and panic. Why were Pansy and Blaise here all of a sudden? Where was Hermione? Where was Tom? Where was Fenrir?

Fenrir was alive. Fenrir was alive. Fenrir was alive. Fenrir was.

"Take a deep breath," Harry rumbled, and then Draco was pushed against the wall, crowded in against Harry's warmth and his comfort and his scent. He was smothered in the smell, it was all he could feel, and it quickly drove all other thoughts from his head. "This isn't how I want you after sex," Harry huffed, almost to himself. "You should be all fucked out and sleepy, not panicking because your dumb friends don't know when to schedule a visit."

Draco let himself be picked up and let out a plaintive whine when he couldn't nestle into Harry's neck. The Alpha chuckled, the sound a little tighter than usual, and shifted Draco so he could shove his nose right into the scent glands under his chin. Draco let himself go boneless, melting into Harry's arms and trying not to think about everything that had been happening. 

When they reached their room, Harry closed the door one-handedly and then sat down on the bed, pulling Draco close and pushing at the blankets until they were surrounded by warmth. "Darling, you're definitely a little overwhelmed right now," he rumbled, stroking one hand through Draco's long hair. "You were just rescued last night, you need time to process things. I don't want you getting worked up over this pack nonsense, alright?"

Draco stayed silent for a while, letting his mate comb through his hair and enjoying the warmth that surrounded them. "I just want to know what I'm missing out on," he admitted quietly, closing his eyes in an attempt to stem the tears that seemed to always be on the edge of spilling over. "After this, we can relax, I swear, just... I want to know."

The bond was clearer than usual, showing Draco every ounce of Harry's misgivings and concern. Still, the Alpha nodded slowly, and shifted so they were laying down, Draco's head on his chest. 

"A pack is a group of Alphas, omegas, and betas who are very close to each other," Harry started slowly. He ran a hand down to Draco's neck and stroked slowly, feeling his omega relax into him and hum softly. It felt good to simply have Draco here, protected, away from the rest of the world. "They spend a lot of time in each other's presence, and when the pack is seen as official, they usually form a bond. For an official pack, you need a pack leader and their mate, a pack second, a pack third, and at least two other members of the pack. It's better with some other elements, if the pack second has a mate, if there's a pack protectorate, if the pack is larger, but that's the basics."

"So... you're the pack leader, I'm the leader's mate. Ron is the second, Ginny is the third. Mrs Weasley is...?"

"The pack protectorate," Harry supplied, continuing to stroke at the nape of Draco's neck until he felt his omega sigh softly underneath him, the sound quickly tumbling into a purr. "That's a maternal or paternal figure that has no mate, but provides support for the rest of the pack. There can also be a pack protector, which is different and usually means an Alpha that is close to the pack leader and pack mate and protects them."

"It's complicated," Draco sighed, liking the fuzzy feeling he got when he purred. "So why did I freak out when Blaise and Pansy wanted to join? Was it instinct?"

Harry paused, reluctant to answer the question. "No, darling," he finally said, a bit resigned. "You've got a lot of things we need to deal with right now. For starters, you were kidnapped and taken away from me. That is never going to happen again, alright? I swear to god, I'll kill anyone who tries to take you from me, I'll hunt them down and--"

It took Harry a moment to realize what had happened, but Draco wasn't purring anymore. Instead, he had his chin tucked to his shoulder, exposing his neck in a long line, and he was completely tense. "No," Harry said quickly, realizing what he had done. "Draco, I didn't mean to scare you, I'm sorry. It's okay, I swear. I'm right here, I've got you."

Fuck, his omega really was on edge. Harry hadn't expected the littlest things to set him off, change his mood, but really he should've. Draco had been kidnapped, for gods sake. He needed to instill a sense of safety and confidence back into the omega before they could talk about dumb pack dynamics. 

There was an air of anxiety draped around them both, even if they didn't want to acknowledge it. Every action Harry took needed to be careful, needed to take into account the mental instability Draco was feeling at the moment. 

"I'm fine," Draco mumbled after a second, settling back in against Harry's chest. Part of him wanted to apologize for the slip up, but he didn't. To be fair, it wasn't his fault that Fenrir had come and dragged him away from Harry. "I get the idea of a pack now. What's a double bond?"

"That one is a bit simpler," Harry said. "It's when, during a combined heat and rut, both mates place a bonding bite on the other. It results in a much stronger bond. Some say that the mates can even hear each other's thoughts, but I've never experienced one, so I wouldn't know."

Draco let that information sink in, and then slowly nodded his head. So it wasn't a myth. His father just hadn't wanted him to think he could ever be close to people, it seemed. 

The room seemed stifling all of a sudden, and Draco tugged himself out of Harry's grasp, his heart beating a little too fast. "I'm going to go take a walk," he said, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "See what Ginny is up to, if Hermione is all right."

He could feel Harry's hurt at him leaving transmitting through the bond, but the Alpha just said "alright." Draco knew that if he was feeling nicer he'd stay with his mate, but he was feeling all wrong. He needed some time to himself, to realign all his emotions and reconnect with the other people he'd left. 

He slipped out of the room a minute later, still vaguely guilty, and hovered at the top of the stairs, resting his hand on the bannister. Some part of him wanted to slide down, but with his ankle still sore and his side aching it didn't seem prudent. He sighed and padded down the stairs, running a hand through his hair as he did so. 

He looked around when he reached the bottom, wondering if anyone else was awake, and heard some noise from the kitchen. Sure enough, when he entered, Mrs. Weasley was making breakfast. "Draco!" she exclaimed when she saw him, instantly smiling. "Oh, darling, I've been so worried. You look so skinny, dear, do you want some bacon?"

Her offer of food was so reminiscent of the first night Draco had been at the mansion that he laughed and accepted, eating it straight off of the pan and then licking the grease from his fingers. "I'm alright," he assured the woman as she peppered him with questions. "Really, Mrs. Weasley, I'm fine. Just a little shaken up, is all."

"What has the world come too, when people try to take sweet boys like you from their homes?" the woman ranted as she bustled around the kitchen, slowly getting more and more worked up. "If I ever see that horrible man, I'll--well, I don't know what I'll do. I just know that he won't get away with doing what he's done, that's all."

Draco smiled and leaned against the counter, feeling surprisingly comforted by Mrs. Weasley's words. It was nice to know that other people in the house cared, that it wasn't just Harry. "I'm sure if Fenrir ever sees you facing him, he'll turn tail and run," he said, then snatched another piece of bacon off of the tray. "Is Ginny up?"

"Yes dear, she's been in the sitting room with Ron and Hermione for the last twenty minutes or so," Mrs. Weasley nodded. "That Hermione girl really is very nice. You've met her?"

"Yeah," Draco nodded, gulping down another piece of bacon. "I'm going to go talk to them, if you don't mind?"

"Of course," Mrs. Weasley said as she wiped off her hands with a pale yellow kitchen towel. "I'll call you all in for breakfast. It should be ready in a half hour or so. Will Harry be up and about by then?"

Draco ignored the question and walked out of the kitchen, chased again by that faint guilty feeling. Sure enough, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were sitting around the coffee table in the parlor, clustered together and speaking in low voices. 

"So he just showed up on your doorstep, looking like hell, in the middle of the night?" asked Ginny, who was almost whispering and had a cup of steaming coffee cradled between her hands. "Harry was so vague about everything, and bundled him right off to bed last night--I mean, we all heard the noise, how could you miss it--but it seemed a little overprotective in my opinion. I didn't even get to say how glad I was to have him back."

"I'm glad to be back," Draco said somewhat awkwardly, wrapping his arms around himself. All three of their heads snapped towards him at once, eyes widening almost comically in shock. "It's not that nice to talk about your friends behind their backs though, guys." He laughed, trying to lessen the tension. 

"Draco," Ginny said immediately, springing up and practically running to throw her arms around her friend. "Sorry, sorry, we were just worried. Are you okay? I missed you, we were all worried."

"Your mom said," Draco smiled, hugging Ginny back tightly and closing his eyes. He ignored the protesting ache from his ribs and let the hug linger, liking how the beta's scent filled his nose. "I'm okay. An old friend from my past just picked me up and brought me for a little joyride." 

Almost as soon as Draco was released by Ginny he was swept into a bigger pair of arms. He was slightly surprised that Ron wanted to hug him, but grinned widely and hugged him back. "I thought we might not get you back," the ginger said, and then cleared his throat. "I mean, that Harry might not get you back. The house is just a lot more, well, er--I think I'm making this awkward."

"No, it's alright," Draco laughed. Ron's scent was nice. He hadn't gotten the opportunity to get this close to him before, but it was earthy and green in a way Draco hadn't smelt before. "Can I sit with you guys for a bit?" 

"Of course," Ginny said quickly, making room for him on the couch she and Ron had been sitting on. Draco sat between them, leaning comfortably against Ginny. This was what he had needed, an opportunity to sit with people who just appreciated his presence. 

"Are your ribs and your ankle feeling better?" Hermione asked. The beta looked refreshed this morning, dressed in light brown slacks that Draco recognized as belonging to Ginny, and a loose cream shirt that was... hmm. 

"Yes," Draco said, leaning forward. "Are you wearing Ron's shirt?"

Hermione gaped for a second, then laughed. "You're much more observant on a full eight hours of sleep. Yes, he let me sleep in his room last night. I was a bit panicky, what with almost being raped by a gang of Alphas. He thought his scent and some platonic cuddling might help to calm me down."

"They had a much more restful night than you did," Ginny interrupted, a shit-eating grin splashed across her face. "Seriously, I heard you then and this morning. Aren't you sore?" 

"Yeah, Harry has a massive dick," Draco deadpanned, and the room exploded into raucous laughter and exclamations of disgust. "Seriously," he shouted over it, laughing himself, "I'm so glad you all know now. It's really crucial you know my mate has a monster cock." 

"That's my best friend," Ron said, choking on his laughter. "I hate you, Malfoy, for making me imagine him with his cock up your arse."

"No one's making you imagine it," Draco pointed out, and all four of them dissolved into laughter once again. 

"Sorry, are we all imagining my penis?" 

Draco turned to see his mate standing at the doorway, a small smile dancing around his lips. The omega was off the couch before he knew it, practically running to throw himself into Harry and into a passionate kiss. "We heard enough of that last night," Ginny yelled, and Draco had to break away to laugh once again. 

"I'm sorry I left you this morning," he murmured against his mate's ear, on his tiptoes to be able to reach it. "I'm in a much better mood now, I promise. I just needed some time."

Harry grinned and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist, lifting him several inches above the ground. "No need to be sorry," he murmured back. "I'm just happy to see you happy." He'd been in a bit of a bad mood when Draco had left, Draco had been able to feel it, but seeing his mate laughing with his pack had cheered him up considerably. 

Ron groaned from the couch and said "Harry, we've seen enough of you two being disgustingly affectionate since Draco's been back, and he's been back for less than twenty four hours, so maybe chill a little on the PDA."

"He's my mate," Harry said simply, and put Draco down only to take him by the hand and lead him to an armchair next to the couch. Draco sat on Harry's lap, comfortably sprawled with his head on the other man's shoulder. "I'm allowed to be disgustingly affectionate."

Draco hummed and pressed his lips to Harry's neck, lightly tonguing the skin there and wondering what it would feel like to have a double bond. Would it be nice? Would it be overwhelming? He scraped his teeth against the spot, gently, and Harry groaned, much to Ginny and Ron's chagrin. 

"Breakfast is ready," announced Mrs. Weasley, interrupting their complaints, and everyone stood to cram into the kitchen. Draco allowed himself to be fed throughout the meal, an extremely submissive act that he usually would have no interest in. It was nice, though, to have Harry doting on him, making sure to press each piece of pancake to his lips.

"Hermione can join our pack, right?" he asked Harry in the middle of breakfast, and it caused everyone to stop mid-bite. "She did save my life, and I like having her around. She slept in Ron's room last night too." It was a big request, but it seemed small in the moment, something assured and non consequential. 

"Of course she can, if she wants to," Harry said, glancing at Hermione. She blushed and stammered out something about thinking about it. Draco grinned, please with himself, and opened his mouth for a raspberry. 

These were his people, his family. This was his pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go!
> 
> I really wanted to portray how Draco and Harry both felt the emotional whiplash from being safe again here, so if the chapter feels like it's having major emotional swings that's why. I tried to still make it cohesive and transitional, but who knows if it worked, lol. Hopefully you guys still liked. Another thing that may seem like a consistency error is that Harry is wary to let Pansy and Blaise join the pack but is pretty much ready when it comes to Hermione. To be fair: Hermione saved Draco's life, and Draco asked Harry to let her in the pack. Harry is pretty much putty in Draco's hands. 
> 
> Just a quick question: would you all like to see more smut in the vein of the last couple chapters? I know that this is never going to be a kink or smut focused fic, but if y'all enjoy it and want to see it in a few more chapters I can make that happen. 
> 
> Also, I've gotten my first piece of fan art recently on Instagram! I can't figure out how to embed it here, oops, and there's no link because it was on DM, but shoutout to @disreputabledog7 for being amazing! If any of you ever make or write fan stuff let me know in the comments and I'll get in touch to thank you!!!
> 
> Speaking of the comments, I'm really sorry that I haven't responded to them all on the last chapter. It does feel a bit overwhelming at times, but I swear I read them all and I'm very thankful.
> 
> Last order of business: this fic is now available in SPANISH!!! If you click on my page you'll see it listed under my works. Only the first chapter is available now, but I'm so excited that it's there! Seriously, my heart is beating out of my chest just thinking about it. 
> 
> Well, that's all I've got to say this time! As always, thanks for reading, I love you guys so much. Leave comments and kudos if you want to brighten my day <3 see you soon with another update :)


	14. Rainy Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco learns more about the definition of pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh I'm actually getting my writing out on time! What a shocker! I had some time to write today even though I have so much going on, so... here you go. 
> 
> No warnings or anything for this one. 
> 
> Draco's dinner outfit inspo:
> 
> https://goo.gl/images/dAita6
> 
> Ok here we go!! I hope y'all like.

The rest of the day was calm, lazy, even idyllic. It rained, the low rumble of thunder echoing through the house. The pack lounged in the living room, everyone warm and content after their breakfast. They pushed aside the furniture, tugging blankets down and making a pile to lay on. 

Harry reclined next to the fire, hands propping up his head. Draco lay next to him, sending a fond glance his way every few moments, his head resting against Ron's legs. Ginny sat between Ron and Hermione, braiding the beta's hair. They were all intertwined, a mass of warmth and contentment. 

Mrs. Weasley sat in an armchair, knitting, watching over them with a keen eye as they laughed and jabbered on about the most insignificant things. The morning passed quickly, and when the clock chimed twelve they snacked on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. After lunch, the conversation turned a little more serious. 

"Did Fenrir... I don't want to make you uncomfortable," Ginny said, playing with a lock of her hair as they all sprawled back out on the blankets. "I just... he didn't hurt you, did he?"

Draco swallowed and scooted back, seeking the comfort of Harry's arms. "No, he didn't hurt me. He threatened to rape me. Actually, he said he was going to wait until Tom raped me, watch that happen, and then rape me."

Ron growled, a long sound in his throat. "If I ever see this Tom guy I'll kill him, I swear. Where does he get off thinking he can threaten you?"

"I'm the only one that gets to kill Tom," Harry said darkly, pulling Draco close. His hands traveled up and under his omega's shirt, resting on his warm ribs. Skin-to-skin contact seemed like something they both needed. 

"I vote any of us that can kill Tom do," Hermione said, crossing her arms. A strange look crossed her face, as if she'd just realized what she said, and she quickly blurted out "not that there's an 'us', I mean, I don't want to intrude, I just meant--"

"I was serious when I said you could join the pack," Harry said lazily, his nose buried in Draco's hair. "It's pretty obvious you fit in, so don't worry about including yourself in an 'us'. Also, there's two people coming tonight for dinner that want to join the pack."

Mrs. Weasley burst from her chair at that as the room erupted into chatter, declaring that she should've been told earlier and now she had no time to cook something proper. Harry cleared his throat as she exited, silencing the room. "They're Draco's old friends. I haven't decided what I think of them yet, so I'm letting you all help me decide."

"I don't know if I want them here," Draco mumbled, drawing his arms close around his chest to effectively trap Harry's hands under his shirt. "I don't want to upset the balance we have."

Harry grumbled, immediately dissatisfied with the anxiety he felt across their bond. "Don't think about that right now," he urged his mate, nosing along Draco's neck. "There's still hours until they're here. Focus on us."

"Do you want us to scent you?" Ginny offered tentatively, and a hush fell over the room as all eyes went to Harry. "Pack scenting can be comforting, especially for omegas," she continued, pointedly looking at Draco. 

"I don't really know what that is," Draco admitted quietly, wondering why Ron looked a tad nervous. Was it something Alphas didn't like?

"It's when a pack scents an omega one by one," Harry explained, "with the omega's mate going last. It's supposed to provide security and comfort, which is why I don't know why everyone looks like I'm about to bite Ginny's head off. If it's good for you, it's good for me, darling." The room considerably relaxed. 

Draco hadn't even considered being scented by people other than Harry before. His family had never really been into the public display of affection that scenting entailed, so his mate was the first person to really try it. It was always good with Harry though, and always left Draco feeling a little blissed out. Now, with him still feeling a little shaky, pack scenting might be good for him. "Okay," he decided, sinking into Harry. "Who starts?"

"Me," Hermione said, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Lowest pack member first." She crawled across the blankets to Draco and took his hand, glancing at Harry before leaning in and running her wrist from Draco's shoulder to the crook of his elbow. 

Hermione's scent was nice. It was like a diluted perfume, something that would grace the covers of an old book or a fresh load of laundry. Draco liked having it on his skin, liked that Hermione flashed him a small smile before leaning back and scooting away. It wasn't anything spectacular, but he didn't hate it, and his muscles definitely released some of their tension. 

Ginny and Ron glanced at each other, and then at Harry, apparently unsure which of them had a higher rank. "Ron can go next, just because Ginny is closer with Draco," the Alpha decided, and neither of them seemed to have an issue with it. Ron was less formal than Hermione, he simply leaned in and gave Draco a hug, wrapping his arms around Harry in the process. His scent was like some sort of salted candy and smoke.

The strange thing was that when Ron layered his scent on top of Hermione's, Draco felt markedly different. It was like both pack members were sitting next to him, stroking his arm or something, calming him down. He had been on edge since Fenrir had snatched him, but something about this was starting to bring him back to normal. 

Ginny made Draco lean a little farther away from Harry so she could properly scent him, running her hands down his sides and making him laugh. Her scent was fresh and flowery, and it, along with the other pack member's scents, made Draco feel completely boneless. "I made him purr," Ginny crowed, and it was true, the omega was softly humming. 

"My turn," Harry murmured, and he went for the neck, the place the other three had shied away from. Draco moaned quietly as the familiar spice surrounded him, then blushed furiously, trying to center himself. The scenting made him feel all floaty. "I love you," his Alpha declared as he pulled away, smiling widely. 

Draco yawned as Harry lowered him on to the blankets, and whined as his Alpha pulled away. "Want to nap with everyone," he insisted, smiling sheepishly at Ginny and Ron and Hermione. "You're all too nice to me. Don't deserve it."

"Bullshit," the three said almost simultaneously, and then burst into laughter. They acquiesced to Draco's demands, laying down around him, leaving a spot for Harry directly next to the omega. 

Draco began to drift off once his Alpha laid down next to him and let him curl up to his chest. He was almost asleep when he heard Harry quietly speak. "Thank you," the Alpha said. "He's been so off since he got back, I didn't know what to do. I could feel it through the bond. But that really seemed to help, so much of the stress is gone."

"You're not the only one who loves him," Ginny said, as if it was obvious. "He captured all of our hearts too, doofus." 

Draco fell asleep feeling completely safe, and dreamed of nothing. 

They napped for an hour or so, all tangled together in a dog pile. Ron was the first to wake up, and then Mrs. Weasley bustled into the room and loudly said "up, up! Harry James Potter, your guests are going to be here within the hour and none of you are anywhere near ready. Up!"

Draco wasn't ready to rise so his Alpha picked him up as the others woke, grumbling about wanting to cancel dinner. Ginny and Hermione rearranged the kitchen and Ron went to help Mrs. Weasley as Harry brought his mate upstairs, still quite pleased with the day's events so far. 

"Thank you," Draco said once they were alone on their bed, touching Harry's cheek. "I know you had them all stay with us today for me. I appreciate it."

"I'd do anything for you," Harry said seriously. "I just thought we needed time as a pack, now that we've decided we're going to properly be one. I like seeing you happy too, Draco. The happier you are the happier I am."

The omega hummed, then looked up from under his light lashes. "You could make me very happy before dinner," he said slyly, playing with a strand of his hair. "If that really is your goal in life."

Harry growled playfully and pinned Draco to the bed, dipping down to kiss him fiercely. "And how would you like me to do that?" he asked, his eyes flashing as his omega grinned. "I can fuck you into the bed, my love, make you make all those pretty little noises we both know I adore. Or I can suck your beautiful cock, make you cum so hard all you can think about is my name. Or--"

Draco laughed and shut his mate up with another kiss, biting at his lower lip this time. "We don't have time for a proper fuck," he sighed, rolling his hips up and making Harry hiss. "We'll have to wait until after dinner."

"I can feel how much you want it," Harry protested lightly, reaching down to palm at Draco through his pants. "Are you sure? I don't want you to suffer all throughout the meal."

"I want you to properly fuck me," the omega admitted, his cheeks burning. "Slow and deep. I don't--no rushed sex before dinner, okay?" Harry's eyes flashed with understanding and he nodded, kissing Draco once more before rolling off of him and sitting up. 

"Can I at least give you a back massage?" he asked, and Draco readily agreed, even though he was still relaxed and calm from the scenting earlier. His mate ran his hands over him lovingly, as always, working out the residual knots that seemed to always tighten up his muscles. "Don't worry about dinner," he murmured, kissing lightly down Draco's neck. "I think your friends are genuine in their intentions, and there's no pressure for us to say they can join our pack."

"Our pack?" Draco asked curiously, craning his head around to look at Harry. 

"Ours," he said firmly. "Not mine. Yes, you belong to me, but I belong to you just as much, if not more, and that makes this our pack." Draco kissed him again just for that, and then got off the bed to get dressed. 

He wanted to dress to impress, that was for sure. This was his pack, and he was going to represent it well. Draco perused the closet for a long few minutes and then finally selected what he decided was perfect. It was a low cut navy shirt that draped over his chest, spattered with tiny crystals. The pants that accompanied it were black, sheer but patterned with flowers, thick enough that not too much skin was revealed. The shirt was oversized on him, the fabric loosely falling over his frame, but the pants were tight, and he knew he looked exquisite. 

He decided to simply brush his hair back and let it hang loosely, no ornaments as he might've worn at Malfoy Manor to obscure it. He didn't wear any makeup either, letting the contrast of the dark fabric and his pale skin speak for itself. 

When he stepped out of the closet Harry gaped, then stepped forwards and kissed him fiercely. "You look ravishing," he said, biting along Draco's jaw and making the omega gasp and go limp in his arms. "I can't believe you're mine, Draco. No one else will ever have you, I swear."

"They better not," Draco chuckled, weaving his fingers into his Alpha's hair. "I love you too, Harry. Now please release me, you need to go get dressed so you can look as good as I do. I'll meet you downstairs?" Harry agreed and Draco left, deeply regretting that they didn't have more time until Blaise and Pansy would arrive. 

He had barely stepped off the stairs when there was a knock at the door, and his heart sped up a tad. Was he ready for this? Only one way to find out. Draco went to the door and opened it, forcing a smile onto his face. 

"Hi," Blaise said, smiling back somewhat awkwardly. "You look amazing, Draco. Can we come in?" The Alpha was dressed in a dark grey suit, simple and refined. Pansy had on a deep red dress, one that swept down to her ankles. Draco took a bit of pleasure in knowing that he looked better than either of them did. 

"Of course," the omega said graciously, stepping aside to let them enter. "So, you both brought formal clothes with you when you came here? I can't say I'm surprised, but it does seem a tad impractical. Were you expecting a fancy dinner?"

"No," Pansy shrugged, "but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. And you? I don't remember seeing that outfit on you at the manor. You never really liked showing skin before, unless I'm remembering incorrectly."

"Lucius had a whole new wardrobe made for me when I came here," Draco said, spitting out his father's name as if it burned his mouth. "Thought it would please my Alpha. Thankfully, Harry doesn't mind much what I wear. I think he'd be fine with it if I waltzed around naked."

Blaise was looking around with a flabbergasted expression, taking in Harry's home. "Even our houses aren't as nice as this," he blurted out. "Who needs this much space? It's practically a castle, you know."

"Oh, well, my whole pack lives here," Draco said airily, relishing the feeling of superiority this gave him somewhat guiltily. "So we need a bit more space."

"Your pack?" Pansy said, and then stepped a little closer to Draco. "Darling, I don't mean to be rude, but is Harry not taking care of you here? We didn't hear anything from you, we don't know what he's like. We can help you escape if that's what you need, I swear."

"No," Draco said, struck dumb for a moment, "no, it's just that I'm his mate, so it's our pack. I'm in charge here, Pansy, it's not like back at home. Harry respects me, I'm his equal."

Pansy and Blaise exchanged a look, but were interrupted by Harry's arrival. He looked splendid, dressed in a scarlet suit that had black floral designs weaving across the fabric. Draco felt his heart speed up at the sight and he grinned, happy that his Alpha was so handsome. "Harry, I was just telling Pansy and Blaise that things work a little differently here than at home," he called out. "Wouldn't you say so?"

"Yes," Harry said, coming to his mate and putting his arm around Draco's shoulders. "Here we don't belittle omegas simply for being omegas. It may be different for you two, but if you want to join this pack you have to know you won't be at the top just because you're Alphas. You'll have to start from the bottom like everyone else."

Pansy smiled graciously and said "of course," which soothed Draco somewhat. Perhaps they just didn't realize what things would be like here, especially since they'd been raised in such high society. Harry led them to the dining room, where Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were waiting. 

Harry sat at the head of the table, and Draco sat to his right, next to Ginny. "You look splendid," he told her, and it was the truth. She had a light green dress on, one that hugged her curves, and she was practically glittering. In fact, in Draco's opinion all of his pack looked incredibly well dressed. He felt a surge of pride. 

Pansy and Blaise seated themselves to Harry's left, across from Draco, and introduced themselves to the table at large. Mrs. Weasley brought out the food, a steaming pot pie with asparagus and a light champagne, and then sat down with them. 

Draco served himself a heaping plate and then dug in, much to Blaise and Pansy's surprise. "You always used to be so skittish about eating," Pansy laughed, serving herself a much smaller portion. "I suppose that's why you've gained a little weight?"

Draco stiffened at that, not sure how to respond. Thankfully, Ginny had it for him. "Well, when you're being abused you don't really eat as well, do you?" she said sweetly. Pansy's jaw dropped, and Draco had to stifle a laugh. This was so painfully awkward that it was almost funny. 

"Hey, Draco was a stuck up bitch when he first got here too," Ron shrugged, and Draco did laugh at that. "Maybe they just need to loosen up a bit."

"We really just want someplace to fit in," Blaise said quietly, poking at his own pot pie. "It's kind of hell back where we came from. Tom is furious that Draco is here, and honestly, I think you guys could use a bigger pack to protect yourself."

Draco softened somewhat at Blaise's concern. "Sorry," he said, looking down. "We're just all on edge. I only got home last night, from the whole Fenrir thing."

Pansy growled, a noise that made everyone jump, and then loudly declared "if I ever see that son of a bitch again I'm going to cut his penis off and feed it to him." The words hung in the air for a long moment, and then the table burst into genuine laughter. 

"She might fit in here after all," Harry murmured thoughtfully, moving his hand under the table to rest it on Draco's thigh. He could feel how tense his omega was, how he felt that at any moment his friends would accidentally say something mean and get themselves kicked out. "I love you," he reminded Draco quietly, and the omega relaxed a bit, smiling back at him.

"This pot pie is amazing," Blaise told Mrs. Weasley, and Draco relaxed a little bit more. Maybe this dinner wouldn't be too horrible after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)
> 
> Okay, so I know we still haven't figured out what's happened to Harry's parents, but I promise y'all within the next, er, five chapters we will. 
> 
> Some quick notes on this particular chapter:  
> It may seem that Draco is clinging on to the idea of pack very fast, but I think it's an instinctual thing that simply makes sense to him. That said, he's also just gone through some pretty serious trauma, so he's also looking for support and love from his friends. It's up to you to decide which of those things has a bigger influence.  
> Also, the pack members are a tad nervous when Ginny suggests scenting Draco because it's very personal and theoretically an Alpha could be too possessive to want their omega to be shared like that. Harry, obviously, doesn't care and just wants Draco to be happy. 
> 
> What do you all think of Blaise and Pansy? Are you for or against them joining the pack? I'm a little off outline now (incredibly, this was supposed to end at thirteen chapters with Draco pregnant... oops. Definitely got away from me, and now it's going to be over 100,000 words instead of 20,000. Let's be honest, would you all be happy if it was already over? I hope not.) so anyways, I haven't 1000% decided on where they'll end up. Your chance to chime in!
> 
> Also, it's fucking insane that this has hit 21,000 hits. Just... what the hell. Thank you all so much. 
> 
> Leave comments and kudos if you enjoyed because they make my day <3 <3 overall, are you guys liking the arc and plot of this fic? Please reassure me that it flows and makes sense, lmao. Love y'all! See you next week!


	15. Moonlit Paths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, things couldn't stay perfect forever, I suppose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people! I am here with the rarest of things: an on time update! I actually wrote this chapter last weekend, and was considering posting it early, but decided it was more important to stick to a schedule. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

The last three weeks had been rather good, surprisingly. Pansy and Blaise recovered quickly from the awkward start of their dinner, and they were able to make a good enough impression on Harry that he agreed to let them stay in the mansion while they worked out if they would be a good fit for the pack. Draco was alright with that, especially because he was still unsure if he wanted his friends to be a permanent part of his new life, especially when it was just starting to get back to normal. 

They did, though. They slipped in to the daily routines of everyone's lives as if they had always meant to be there. Hermione did too, after she'd gone and fetched her belongings from her little cottage. "It was always too cramped," she told Draco privately. "I like it much better here. There's so much more space. Besides, when I saw the library how could I resist?"

"More like when you saw Ron," Draco replied teasingly, and received a slap on the arm for his troubles. It was true, though. Hermione and Ron were getting along rather well. They slept in each other's rooms more often than not, even though Hermione ended up staying on the opposite side of the house, in a room tucked away near the kitchens. It wasn't unlikely to see them stumbling into the kitchen in the mornings together, eyes bleary, Hermione wearing one of Ron's shirts. 

Still, their scents never carried any indication that they'd had sex. Draco suspected that Ron was carrying out a very traditional courting routine, at least until he hit rut. It put a bit of a damper on their progress that they always seemed to be getting on each other's nerves. Ron would say something crass, or contradict Hermione on an idea, and the beta would be red-faced and storming out of breakfast before he could even apologize. Still, they would make up in the afternoon, and Hermione would spend the evening curled up with him and a good book. 

Pansy had found herself rather enchanted with Harry's horses, and often had Ginny take her on long rides around the grounds. The two had a good camaraderie, teasing each other and throwing insults around. Draco, privately, suspected that Pansy would eventually ask Ginny to spend a rut with her. Still, they hadn't discovered that part of their relationship yet, and he wasn't about to push it. 

Apart from that, Pansy was trying to make herself as useful as possible. She clearly wanted to show that she wasn't just a typical Alpha, that she could be just as kind and decent as Harry or Ron. She would help Mrs. Weasley clean up after breakfast, or make lunch, or sweep the floors. Mrs. Weasley was quite fed up with it after a few days, and told her brusquely to stop putting herself underfoot. Afterwards, Pansy mostly gardened and rode, trying to simply get to know the members of the pack better. 

On the other hand, Mrs. Weasley absolutely adored Blaise. She referred to him as "that sweet boy", and admittedly, the first time Draco had heard it he'd flushed with jealousy. Molly laughed at his reaction and pulled him into a motherly hug, reassuring him that while she liked Blaise, she loved him beyond compare and always would view him as one of her children. That made Draco blush for a different reason. 

Blaise did get along well with the pack. He was nice to everyone, and did the things no one else wanted to do, most notably the laundry. "It's calming," he shrugged to Draco. "There was never time to just wash our clothes back home. The servants did that." He painted in his free time and slept. Both he and Pansy did a lot of napping, in the sun, in their rooms, in the salon, on the library floor. Draco understood. The freedom to nap had been a big deal to him too. 

While Draco tried to observe his pack, and make sure they were getting along, he was rather wrapped up in his own affairs. Harry was supposed to be hitting his rut in two weeks, and it was quite obvious that Draco was going to go into a synced heat. 

As soon as they'd realized Draco had rushed to Mrs. Weasley and begged her to make him something that would keep him from getting pregnant (because Harry was in no way going to be able to keep from knotting him). She'd calmed him down quickly and told him she had just the thing, a tea that he'd have to take morning and night every day before the rut. It tasted like ginger and mint, and Draco was quite diligent in drinking it with breakfast and dinner. 

Harry hated watching him drink it, even though he understood why he had to. They weren't ready for children, but the hormones flooding his body made him want to, in crude terms, breed Draco. It was an instinctual urge that made him wrinkle his nose and turn away from his mate whenever Draco took a sip of the pungent drink. They made up for it in long kisses in the salon afterwards, reassurances to each other with soft hands and unspoken words. 

Strangely, none of the pack seemed to mind as their PDA became more and more pronounced. Harry told Draco it really was just the pack dynamics taking over, that the others liked seeing how in love they were. Draco scrunched up his nose and said he still wasn't sure how he felt about Ron watching Harry palm him through his pants on the couch. Harry laughed and promised not to take it that far again, kissing his omega on the nose. 

There were other things, too. Draco had started to nest a little early, in the smallest of ways. He'd begun to ask people for clothes or fabric, a request that never failed to make him turn bright red. Ginny had shrieked in excitement when he'd asked and immediately provided a heavily scented scarf, one that Draco tucked away in the corner of his closet for when he actually started to construct his nest. Ron handed over a sweater and ruffled Draco's hair. Hermione searched for the perfect thing and finally gave up her cloth bracelet, one that had snugly fit over the scent gland in her wrist. 

Draco hadn't asked anyone else for anything, not yet. He knew Mrs. Weasley was waiting for him, and had already decided which of her aprons to let go of for the week or so the rut would last. He would ask her, but it was always an impulsive decision, something he didn't know he would do until it was already done. He didn't know if he'd ask Blaise or Pansy. 

Everything was going well. Harry thought he was adorable, and kept interrupting his conversations to run a hand over Draco's neck, making the omega shudder and sometimes whine embarrassingly. His Alpha was getting more and more protective as the days went on. Draco was secretly looking forward to the days right before the rut, when Harry would be at his peak dominance. Everything was good. 

Until, of course, there came a knock on the door. Later, Draco would wish that he hadn't answered it. For some reason, good things never came of answering the door. 

He did answer it though, practically skipped there because he was in such a good mood. He flung it open, a wide smile on his face, and then froze and tried to slam it shut. It was interrupted by a walking stick being jammed in the crack, and mentally the omega groaned.

He slowly opened it, happiness flushed away, and looked his father up and down. "Lucius," he said, practically a growl, and the Alpha looked back, unimpressed. 

"Draco," he drawled. "I see I was mistaken to hope your new Alpha would fuck some obedience into you." Draco did growl at that, a low sound that reverberated through the doorway. "Invite me in, won't you?"

"You're not welcome here," Draco hissed, anger running through his veins. He didn't want to acknowledge it, but there was fear there too, an undercurrent that set him even more on edge. He heard footsteps behind him and waited for Harry to curl a possessive arm around his waist from behind. Their bond was so much stronger now, close to the rut. It was a given Harry would come any time Draco even felt nervous. 

"Harry Potter," Lucius said, still looking calm. "My son is being impertinent. I suppose there's no way you could punish him for me?" Harry bared his teeth, eyes flashing viciously, and the other Alpha sighed. "No, I didn't think so. Alright. I'm here to talk to Draco, and only Draco. It'll be no more than twenty minutes of your time."

"No," Harry growled, but Draco flashed him a warning glance and he relaxed somewhat. In truth, the request sent curiosity trickling through the omega. Why would his father travel all the way here, appear so unexpectedly on their doorstep, and then only want twenty minutes of his time?

"I'll bring him to the woods," Draco suggested to his Alpha quietly, turning so he was speaking to his chest and safe in his arms. "Not too far in, but you know if I felt like leaving him he'd be lost. Apart from you, I'm the only one who knows the forest."

"The last time I let you go into the forest alone you were stolen from me," Harry said, and the lingering anguish from Fenrir's kidnapping was still present in his voice. "I won't stop you, Draco, not if you feel like you have to do this, but I don't like it. If I feel any sort of discomfort through the bond I'm running to you."

Draco nodded and stepped away, pressing a hot kiss to his Alpha's lips before turning and icily regarding his father. "Come on then," he snapped, stepping out next to him. "Let's go on a little walk, you and I. And if you try anything, I'll kill you myself." 

They walked in silence for a bit, Draco's arms crossed as he led Lucius to the tree line. "Did you really come all the way here to walk quietly next to me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as they stepped onto the wooded path. "Because for some reason I doubt that."

"No," Lucius said, turning his nose up. "I came to tell you who you really belong to, Draco, because I think you've forgotten. I'm your Alpha. I'm the one who raised you and taught you, and you should listen to me. You're being coddled here. It's not good for an omega to have so much freedom. I'd be willing to bet Harry hasn't even taken you over his knee yet." Draco opened his mouth to say something, but Lucius interrupted. "I sold you to Tom before the Auction."

"What?" The omega said dumbly, stopping in the middle of the path. That didn't make any sense. His father couldn't have sold him before he was claimed. 

"The whole thing was just for show, you know that," the older man sighed, taking a step towards his son. "Tom wanted the chance to demonstrate his strength, and I wanted you to learn more about your place in this world. I watched you get in that dress, walk around like the slut you are, and we were both ready to watch you go away. Tom and I, that is. Your mother would've missed you. Still, Harry had to fuck it up, and we thought we'd lost you and our money in one blow."

Lucius stepped closer again, backing Draco up against a tree. "We had to send Fenrir to get you back. I didn't want to repay the money Tom had given me, and Tom wanted to fuck you so badly. Still does. I think there's something about your rather rebellious nature that attracts him. But Fenrir failed, came back with a knife in the stomach. The only useful thing that came from that was that we found out you were bonded."

A sense of foreboding came over Draco and he turned, ready to run away from the monster that was his father, get back to Harry. Before he could even take a step Lucius' hand clamped down on the back of his neck, nails digging into the soft skin of his bonding mark, and Draco keened, falling to his knees. 

The world swam before his eyes as his father loomed over him, gripping his neck firmly. "You see, omegas have such a weakness with their bonding bites," Lucius sneered, but to Draco it sounded like it was coming through a foot of water. He could barely make out the words. "If you know how to grab it, you can send them straight into a submissive headspace. Now, Draco. Who's your Alpha?"

The omega whimpered, a small sound that didn't seem like it was coming from him. Lucius tightened his grip and he hissed, trying to get to his feet. His legs didn't want to, though. They liked kneeling. Why didn't Draco like kneeling? He couldn't remember. "Harry," he whined, and Lucius shook him, hard. 

"I'm your Alpha," the man growled, forcing Draco's head closer to the ground. "Say it. Say it, Draco, you pathetic omega. Say I'm your Alpha."

"Alpha," Draco cried, neck hurting beyond what he'd thought possible. "Alpha, I'm sorry, please." Nothing made sense. He was floating in a cloud of sluggishness and drowsiness. 

More words reached him. "You're going to leave the house at midnight tonight and walk to the bottom of the mountain, where a carriage will await you. Don't think about it. Just get in, and then go back to sleep. You don't deserve Harry, Draco, you're worthless. It's better for everyone if you just leave. Say it back to me."

"Worthless," Draco gasped, his eyes fluttering closed. "Don't deserve Harry. Leave at midnight, find carriage, go to sleep. Just get in."

"Good. Now, if anyone tries to stop you, you make it so they'll never want you here again. Insult them. Make them cry. You're good at that. In fact, it's one of the only things you're good at, so go all out. Say it back to me."

"Insult anyone who wants me to stay. Make them cry. Make them want me to leave."

"Good. Now, when I let go, all you'll remember is that I told you I sold you to Tom before the Auction. You'll be mad, and force me to leave. Don't think about the pain in your neck."

Draco stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes, angry that he'd let himself trip in front of his father. "I don't care if you sold me," he seethed. "You can deal with the consequences of your own actions. Get your head out of your ass, and get the hell off of my property."

Lucius left without too much fuss, which Draco thought was a bit strange. He had traveled hours by carriage simply to tell him that he should come home because, what, Tom had some sort of monetary claim on his ass? It seemed a little off. He didn't share that with Harry, because he didn't want to worry him. 

He did tell him about being sold to Tom, which practically made the Alpha's eyes turn red. Harry was especially possessive for the rest of the day, scenting Draco at every turn and resting his hand on his knee during dinner. 

Strangely, the encounter didn't upset Draco as much as it probably should have. He told Ginny, Ron, and Hermione about it of course, but didn't think on it much apart from that. Blaise seemed to notice something was off, and offered to French braid Draco's hair. He always did that when Draco was stressed. The omega declined for the moment, but told him with a smile that they could sit down and do a nice braid sometime in the next couple days. 

Dinner came and went, the pack lounged in the living room for a few hours, and then Harry and Draco went to bed. There was no sex that night, both of them exhausted, and they fell asleep quickly. 

Draco woke up promptly at midnight, and was walking out of the house barefooted in less than five minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sigh* I guess things couldn't be amazing for too many more chapters...
> 
> For anyone wondering what exactly Lucius did to Draco, and why, it'll be explained in the next chapter! Sorry for boring notes today, I'm absolutely exhausted. This week is my last calm week for a while, so I'm going to try and prewrite some stuff. Hopefully another update next Monday!
> 
> To make shit interesting, if I get over 40 comments in the next three days (from different people lmao) I'll make sure to prewrite at least 3 chapters by next Monday. Inspire me!!! (Also leave kudos if you love me ;) )
> 
> See y'all next week!
> 
> Edit: ok I get it y'all hate this chapter pls stop commenting abt it


	16. A Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco cannot resist the suggestions that have been planted in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh... hi.

The air was cool as Draco padded downstairs, his eyes glazed over. It almost felt like he was still asleep, like what he was doing and why he was doing it wasn't real at all. If he knew that he was presently abandoning this, the only real love he'd ever known, he'd be screaming and crying and fighting it as hard as he could. He wasn't, though. He just kept walking. 

It was a matter of seconds before he got to the front door, one slim hand twisting the handle and pulling it open. It creaked as he did so, and he left it swinging as he stepped outside. His bare feet pressed against the ground and he shivered involuntarily, eyes pressing closed for just a moment. Draco stood there, pale in the darkness, for an eternity of a second, the soft sounds of the navy blue night floating around him. 

"Draco?" A soft voice uttered from behind him, hoarse and full of sleep. "What are you doing, baby? Come back to bed." 

Before Draco could even react to the way that quiet endearment made him feel he was running, legs pumping as fast as they could. He couldn't remember why, exactly, he was running, but it seemed imperative that he get away from that quiet voice, the warm and fuzzy feeling it lit in his stomach. He had to go to the bottom of the mountain, where there was something good waiting for him.

"Draco?" that voice said, obviously dumbfounded, and then there were footsteps behind him, giving chase. Draco's mind was a blank slate, just filled with the urge to run and run. He was moving fast, maybe faster than he ever had before. There was no pesky exhaustion or emotion to slow him down. 

The only sounds were the their feet hitting the grass, their breath rasping through the air. As the tension grew, Draco reflexively reached for something in his chest, a feeling that was supposed to be there. It wasn't. Everything was empty. That strangeness made him stumble, and in that second, Harry was upon him, his Alpha's weight making them both roll to the ground. 

"What are you doing?" Harry hissed, struggling to hold Draco as his mate thrashed in his arms. The blond was beyond verbalizing, resorting to scraping his nails along Harry's arms, throwing himself back and forth. Harry held him down, eyes wide, unable to comprehend why he was acting like this. 

"Let me go," the omega cried, trying to pull away from his Alpha. "Let me go, let me go, I have to go, I have to go, please, let me go!" He was writhing so violently that he hit his head, the force of it making him stop struggling for a moment. 

"Draco," Harry said frantically, cradling his mate's head, being as gentle as he possibly could. "Draco, I don't understand. I'm going to take you home, okay? Calm down, darling, please, let yourself relax. I'm going to take you home." 

Draco growled in frustration as Harry picked him up, kicking out as he was carried across the lawn. He hit ineffectively at the Alpha's chest, his fists bouncing off of the other man's muscles. He still couldn't seem to say anything but "let me go" and "I have to go". The scene retained its dreamlike quality for the omega, everything a little slower and sucked of all its emotion. 

Eventually they reached the door, Draco beginning to give up a little, instead just spitting out things like "let me go", which seemed to be the theme of the night. Harry looked practically tortured as he shut the door behind them, letting Draco stand on his own. He immediately went back to pummeling Harry's chest with his hands, trying to get past him and out of the door. His mate snagged his wrists easily, holding him at arms length. 

"What's going on?" another tired voice said, and Harry looked above Draco's head to see Ginny, Ron, Pansy, Blaise, and Mrs. Weasley standing on the staircase, all looking exhausted and confused. Draco whirled around, and looked as if he was going to advance on them, so Harry quickly nabbed him and held him tightly against his chest. "Draco?" Ginny said, rubbing her eyes. "Are you alright?" 

"He's acting -- I can't feel through the bond -- I don't know why --" Harry struggled to get a sentence out as he held Draco, who was becoming almost frantic once again. "He's acting like some goddamned wild animal," he finally managed to say, frustrated. 

"Draco?" Ginny asked again, stepping closer. "Draco, talk to me. What's going on?" Draco, in a completely uncharacteristic move, leaned forward and snarled at her, baring his teeth. 

Everyone in the room drew back in surprise. Pansy actually gasped, taking a step backwards. "What the hell is wrong with him?" she snapped, crossing her arms and looking around at everyone. "Did you do something? Is it because his father came to visit?" 

Draco, listening to them talk about him, slowly stopped moving. As he did, his mouth opened of its own accord. "It's because I want to get the hell out of this shithole," he said lowly, still held tightly in Harry's arms. "God, you are all so stupid. Did you really think I was happy here? With a fucking Alpha controlling my every move?"

"You are happy here," Ron said slowly, stepping forward and making eye contact with Harry. "You've always been happy here. Take a deep breath and think about what you're saying. I know you might be upset, but you love it here."

"I hate it here," he said, voice almost completely expressionless. Every word he said was like a knife stabbing into Harry's heart, a different dagger he was piercing his mate with. "I was bought and sold to be here. I was brought here against my will. The only reason I've put up with it is so I won't have to go to Tom, but now it's too much to bear. I would rather be with him than be here." 

Harry's face crumpled. He let go of Draco, and his mate fell to his knees, his long hair falling over his face. "You never had to stay if you didn't want to," he said, his voice a little unsteady, very uncertain. 

Then, he tilted his head to the side, his confusion mounting, combining with suspicion. "Draco, you can't lie through a bond," he stated. "And every time you said you loved me it was completely honest. And now, I don't feel anything at all, which should be impossible." 

Draco shifted and his silvery hair fell to the side. Ron, watching him, immediately grabbed his shoulders and pushed him to the ground. Harry growled at him reflexively, moving to stop him from touching his omega, but noticed what Ron had. His expression cleared and filled with understanding as he walked quickly to him and helped him pin Draco down. Draco, of course, did not take this well, and began to struggle once again. 

"What the hell?" Pansy snapped again, moving closer with Ginny and Blaise. "Don't you dare hurt him. He might be out of his mind right now, but it's the dead of the night, and if you hurt him I'll --" Mrs. Weasley put a hand on her arm, holding her back as she critically watched over the situation. 

"Darling, you have something on your neck, on your bite mark," Harry said softly, trying to calm Draco down as he fought to get Ron and his Alpha off of him. "Let me look at it, sweetheart." He brushed his hair aside gently with one hand, the other pinning Draco's wrist to the floor, and bared his teeth at the sight he saw. 

"Fingernail marks," Mrs. Weasley said, her eyes widening. "Oh, Draco. They're deep, too. Let me look at them, Harry." 

"No," Harry said, reigning in his Alpha side for a moment. "I need to take care of this, you know that. Ron, help me get Draco up, please."

"I don't understand," Blaise said timidly, stepping forward and watching as Ron and Harry wrestled Draco to his feet. "Why does he have fingernail marks on his neck? Did you, um, did you get too rough last night or something?"

"Omegas have very sensitive nerves at the back of their neck, where their bond bite is," Mrs. Weasley explained, fuming to herself as she kept the rest of the pack away from the two Alphas. "If these nerves are stimulated in a severe enough matter, it can send the omega into a deep submissive headspace. In this headspace, suggestions can be made that will stick with the omega when they wake up. I'd suspect that when Lucius stopped by, he decided to utilize this particular trick to tell Draco some choice orders. Harry now needs to put Draco back under and undo whatever damage his father has done."

Harry didn't respond to this explanation as he got Draco standing and took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing. It was easy enough to manhandle his mate into facing him, although the motion made him feel slightly nauseous. "I love you," he told his mate, before wrapping his hand securely around the back of his neck and squeezing firmly. 

Draco dropped to his knees with a solid thud, his eyes glazing over right away. "Alpha?" he whimpered, his hands clenching and unclenching in his lap. "Alpha? Harry?" That simple word, his name, made Harry relax infinitely. Lucius hadn't been able to undo their bond, which was what he had been fearing. 

"Shh, baby," Harry murmured, his free hand combing through Draco's silky hair. "Just relax. You're alright, I'm here." His omega's shoulders visibly dropped as tension seeped out of him, and he leaned backwards, into his Alpha's firm grip. "Now, Draco, tell me what your father did to you."

It took Draco a second to focus, as he was already floating. "Took me to the woods," he started, his eyes fluttering closed. "Grabbed me so hard. Made me say he was my Alpha. Told me I didn't deserve you, that I needed to leave here at midnight, and go get into a carriage. Go somewhere. Somewhere nice. If anyone tried to stop me I had to fight them. Had to say whatever I thought would hurt them the most, so they'd want me to leave." 

The omega stopped, whining quietly, and leaned forward, nuzzling against Harry's leg. "You're doing so good," the Alpha murmured, keeping all of the rage he was feeling tamped down. The feeling of their bond was returning gradually, and he didn't want to upset Draco at all. "What else did he say?"

"He said I needed to forget it all," Draco murmured, "and act normal. That was it. He let me go." Harry nodded slowly, petting his omega's hair, and took a second to get himself totally under control before speaking again. 

"You don't need to listen to anything he said to you. I'm your Alpha," he said, unable to keep notes of possessiveness from coloring his tone. "And I want you to return to being yourself, and disregard anything your father said. It's not your fault that this happened, alright? And I forgive you." Draco didn't respond, still hazy with Harry's strong hold on his neck. 

"Now take your hand off slowly, so he doesn't get whiplash," Mrs. Weasley said softly, watching concernedly. Harry did, unclenching his grip bit by bit, watching as Draco came back to himself. 

The omega blinked several times, looking around, and then looked up from under his lashes at Harry. There was a long pause, and then everything that happened rushed back to him at once, and he scrambled away from Harry, right into Ron. "Oh my god," he gasped, trying not to hyperventilate as he whipped around. "Oh my god, I just. I just." 

Harry was at his side in a flash, Pansy, Ginny, and Blaise following soon after. "I'm so sorry," Draco stammered. "Harry, oh god, Harry. I would never run from you, god, I'm sorry. I love you, I love you so much, I'm so sorry." Harry gathered him into a tight embrace, tucking his nose into Draco's neck and inhaling his scent. The pack gathered around, trying to help Draco feel safe.

A few tears fell down his cheeks as he pressed himself to Harry, trying to calm himself down. "Draco, it's alright," Ginny comforted, laying a hand on his back and ignoring the look she got from Harry. "None of us blame you, not at all. We blame your son of a bitch father, and we'll kill him if we ever see him again." That, at least, made Draco laugh a little. 

"I'm going to take my mate to bed," Harry said quietly, nuzzling into Draco's hair. "To warn you all, I think that tonight's events may make my rut come a day or two early. That would make it the day after tomorrow." 

There was a long pause, and then Ron spoke. "Can we..." he trailed off, looking at the ground, and then glancing at Pansy and Blaise. "When we did the group scenting, do you remember? It was... comforting." 

Harry considered that for a moment. Now that they were a pack, he had to remember that any harm to Draco would upset the rest of the pack almost as much as it upset him. "As long as Draco is alright with it," he decided, and was unsurprised when his mate nodded into his shoulder. He repositioned them so Draco was sitting in his lap and facing away from him. He kept a hand on his thigh and a hand on his stomach, possessive and protective all at once. 

"Lowest pack member first," Blaise mumbled a bit shyly, obviously knowing the tradition. He went towards Draco, but Pansy shouldered past him, rolling her eyes. She dropped to her knees and simply kissed Draco's cheek, letting her scent settle over him. It was like the bubbles of champagne, and the crack of frost in the morning. She smiled at Draco as she pulled away, placing a comforting hand on his knee. 

Next was Blaise, who brushed Draco's hair back from his face and, casting a glance to Harry, picked up his wrist and also kissed it. That was how group scentings were done in high society, with light kisses. He smelled warm, like some sort of fabric. 

This time Mrs. Weasley joined in on the scenting, pulling Draco slightly from Harry's lap to envelope him in a full bodied hug. Then Hermione, who ruffled his hair and drew her wrist across his arm. Ginny hugged him as her mother did, a tight hug that felt amazing. 

Ron, usually more withdrawn, nuzzled into Draco's hair this time, careful to avoid his neck. He scented him a bit more heavily, belying how much the night's events had worried and distressed him. He'd grown a great affection for Harry's mate, and worried after him like a mother hen, although he'd deny it if asked. 

Harry finished the scenting, throughly covering his mate's neck and shoulders. By the end, Draco was more relaxed, although through the bond Harry could feel his guilt and anxiety. The Alpha gathered Draco into his arms and stood, nodding at the pack before ascending the staircase. 

When they got to their room, Draco started to cry again, a few tears escaping his eyes. "It's not fair," he whispered as they got back into bed, Harry pulling him as close as he could possibly get. "Why can't they just leave us alone? I just want to be with you, Harry. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have trusted my father, I should've just stayed with you." 

"Shhh," Harry murmured, soothed by having his mate back in his arms, back in their bed. The bond was back to full strength, thank god. "It's not your fault. We all love you, and we're all going to protect you from them, alright?" He kissed Draco soft and slow, savoring the moment. 

The only thing that had really scared Harry, through the whole ordeal, was not being able to feel Draco through the bond. He still felt a bit off because of it, the feeling of wrongness resonating even now. 

There wasn't much he could do at the moment, though. He had to be content with feeling Draco curl up against him, knotting his hands in the omegas hair and holding him tight. His rut was coming, after all. He had to keep Draco close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it sure has been a while. 
> 
> I have to admit, initially I was a little put off by some of the comments on the last chapter, but that's not why I've been gone so long! I have thicker skin than that, haha. Things have really just gotten busy fast, with school and theater and all sorts of other things. I do plan on continuing this fic, don't worry!!! 
> 
> All in all, the last two chapters have been a transition both into Harry's heat and then (afterwards) a new era in the pack's life, kind of like a turning point? Many surprises still to come, because I have an affection for twists and turns, if you couldn't tell. 
> 
> Also, just to find out all y'all's opinions, would you like to see more characters join the pack? If so, who? 
> 
> See you guys in a week or two or three :)


	17. Prelude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Draco make eggs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! I hope you all like this update. Things are slowly starting to come into focus.

"What are you doing?"

Draco frowned at Harry as the Alpha rose, rubbing his eyes and looking generally bemused. Draco was currently pulling at the blankets on the bed, trying to bring them out from underneath Harry to get them where he wanted them. He was being quite persistent, tugging as hard as he could. 

"Darling, what are you doing?" Harry asked again, sleep clogging his throat as he reached for his mate. "It can't be later than four am, Draco. Come back to bed. We can do, er, whatever it is that you're doing in the morning. We've had a long night, don't you want some rest?"

"No," Draco hissed, smacking Harry's arm away. "Can you get off the blankets? I'm trying to..." he trailed off, unsure of what it actually was that he was attempting to do, and slowed his movements. 

"Oh," Harry said after a long pause, his eyes widening. "Oh, Draco, you're nesting, aren't you?" Draco looked around himself, and then his cheeks turned pink and he groaned, collapsing on top of his mate. 

"God, I didn't even know that that was what I was doing," he mumbled, letting Harry wrap his arms around him and pin him to his chest. "That's so embarrassing. I just woke up and felt like I had to start setting things up in a specific way."

"No, no, it's good," Harry murmured, fingers tracing over the back of Draco's neck. The omega shuddered against him every time his fingers grazed their bond mark, the sensation sending shivers all the way down his spine. "It means that you're getting ready for my rut. I would be more worried if you weren't. It's not good for an omega who isn't in heat to be with an Alpha who's like that."

Draco shuddered, this time at the thought of trying to handle Harry in rut when he wasn't in heat. Alphas were, from what he had heard, intense when they were under that particular influence.

After a moment, he sighed. "I need to get up. I'm really trying to fight it, but I need to start making this nest right now. It's all I can think about. Can you leave?"

A twinge of hurt flung through their bond, and Draco shook his head, quickly laying kisses down the length of Harry's jaw. "No, no, that's not what I meant," he murmured. "I just need the bed to be free, baby, so I can get it all... nest-y. You should go make breakfast, and then we can cuddle on the couch or something. Okay?" 

Harry grumbled but kissed the top of Draco's head, begrudgingly rolling out of bed. The Alpha trodded downstairs, presumably to scramble eggs at four am, and Draco got to work constructing his nest. It didn't seem like it would be that hard of a task, but every blanket had to be in the right place, folded just how he wanted it, making the nest as secure and sturdy as possible. 

He braided the sheets in with the comforter, wrapped them around the bedposts, pulled them taut so they made a thick barrier. The pillows were good enough padding, but the ones that smelled most like Harry had to go near the middle, so Draco could smell them when he was in heat. 

God, when he was in heat. 

He'd never thought about being in heat with a mate that was in rut. Well, he had, but it had always been with an impending sense of doom and terror. It seemed crazy to now be almost looking forward to it. He wanted to renew their bond, of course, but he was also strangely excited for the sex. Things really had changed since he was at the Manor. 

He brushed those thoughts aside, and went back to his work. After what felt like just a few minutes, but was really more like an hour, Draco finished arranging the nest to his satisfaction. Quite a few articles of Harry's clothing had ended up woven into it, along with the things he'd stolen from the rest of the pack. He grinned to himself, curled up in the middle of it, and then yawned before he got up and went downstairs to see Harry. 

To his surprise, the rest of the pack was up and chattering already. Harry, looking a bit hassled, was in the midst of scrambling what looked like his fifth or sixth plate of eggs, which Ginny promptly snatched up. Draco laughed and went to rescue his mate, hugging him from behind before taking over the cooking. 

"They're ravenous," Harry complained, settling back against the counter and watching Draco finish making breakfast. "Apparently I woke Ginny up on my way downstairs and she decided it was time to get everyone else up." As a whole, the pack looked pretty exhausted. They'd probably all gotten less than four hours of sleep, and yet they were grinning and talking to each other animatedly. 

"I don't know how it works," Draco shrugged, scooping eggs onto his own plate and then setting the skillet in the sink. "Maybe pack bonds mean that when you're up, everyone is up. Seriously, though, my refined education doesn't get me places in this department." 

Harry snorted, and then picked Draco up before the omega could protest, holding him in one arm and grabbing his plate with his free hand. "I don't care, I suppose," he murmured, "as long as no one is being rude." Draco, relishing their closeness, tucked his head into the crook of Harry's neck and allowed himself to simply breathe in the scent of his Alpha. 

"Could you two get any more... bonded?" Pansy said loudly as they walked into the living room, Harry putting Draco down on the couch. "Seriously, every time I turn around you guys are sucking face."

"Like it doesn't turn you on," Ginny snarked, smacking Pansy on the arm. That got a rather surprised laugh from the rest of the pack as they came to sit and eat their eggs. "What? They're the Alpha couple or whatever. It's supposed to incite urges in us to mate." 

"Sure incites urges in me to mate," Pansy purred, fluttering her lashes at Ginny. Draco reached over and pushed her in the shoulder, still grinning. Thank god that they were all able to joke around, even after what had happened last night. 

"I've got turns of urges to mate," Harry rumbled, pulling Draco into his lap. The omega couldn't help but moan quietly and tip his head back, letting his mate lick and suck over the expanse of his neck. He still ached a bit where his father had grabbed him, but every one of Harry's touches made it feel better. 

"That was a joke," Ginny said loudly, rolling her eyes and flicking a spoonful of eggs at Draco. The omega huffed and wiped it off his cheek, then dove back into kissing Harry. 

"So," Ron said, turning to Hermione, "did you do any more research on what happened last night? I know you were up reading for hours." That kind of ruined the mood, and Draco clambered off of Harry with a sigh. 

"Yeah, well, it looks like the way that Lucius grabbed Draco did just what we thought it did," Hermione said between bites of scrambled egg. "It made him feel as if he was being bitten by an Alpha, which sent him into a specific pheromone filled state that made him particularly susceptible to suggestions. It was especially easy for Lucius to do this, as he'd been a controlling figure in Draco's life for many years."

"I might kill him if I ever see him again," Blaise mused, and Draco raised an eyebrow at him. It was unusual for Blaise to show off his more aggressive side, even if he was an Alpha. "What?" he said defensively, stabbing his fork into his eggs. "It's not just that he did that, he's been a dick to you for forever. I'm allowed to be protective."

"All of us are protective," Pansy pointed out, rolling her eyes, "because Draco is the only omega in the pack." 

"You can be protective of me and Hermione too," Ginny volunteered, raising her hand. "We're betas, you know."

"You and Hermione are too fierce to be protective of," Harry said dismissively, grinning at Ginny. "If anyone tried to cuddle you on the couch I think you'd smack them from here to kingdom come. Meanwhile, Draco melts in my arms."

Draco scowled at him and punched him in the shoulder. "I've never melted in my life," he declared. Harry put an arm around him and he sighed, allowing his mate to pull him back into his lap. Maybe he did melt every once in a while. 

"Whatever," Ginny sighed, laying back onto the ground. "Whenever a real Alpha shows up, they'll be super protective of all of us."

"I'm super protective of all of you," Harry protested, working his hands under Draco's shirt as he spoke. "Even the Alphas. I'm the most protective person here." Pansy, Blaise, and Ron all groaned, getting up almost in unison to put their dishes in the kitchen. 

Draco ignored them, arching into Harry's touch instead. He was electric, every single touch lighting him on fire. The Alpha groaned as Draco rolled his hips lightly against him, unable to resist his desires. "Draco," he murmured, leaning forward and scraping his teeth against his mate's earlobe. "You're getting me all riled up, darling. I don't know if you want to do that here." 

"I want, uh, I want," for a few long seconds, Draco couldn't decide what he wanted. Then he flung himself back, landing in a long-limbed crouch. Things seemed hazy and warm for a second, too warm. Harry growled, a rumbling noise deep in his chest. 

"Oh, dear lord," Hermione said, grabbing Ginny by her hand and tugging her off of the floor. "We have to get out of here."

"I don't understand," Ginny spluttered. "They're done making out, shouldn't we be grateful? Seems like now is the prime time to be in here."

"No, Draco is going into heat, which will trigger Harry going into his rut," Hermione said, painstakingly explaining. "Draco is going to run away from Harry now until Harry can catch him. Then, Harry is going to bring him back to their nest, and they're going to -- "

"Okay, okay," Ginny said hurriedly. "Let's get out of here. Jesus, it does come up fast."

Draco shifted back on his haunches, growling quietly. Harry looked at him dead on for a few seconds, eyes narrowing. They both were so goddamn heated, sparks crawling over their skin. Draco's eyes flicked to the door, behind his mate, on the left side. 

In the blink of an eye, he started to run, faster than he ever had before. Harry roared and launched himself over the side of the couch, managing to grab Draco by the legs and slow down his escape. The omega managed to kick out, forcing Harry to let go, and scrambled through the door, up the stairs. Every breath raked through his lungs, his muscles screaming at being forced so quickly into action. Just a second ago, he'd been grinding down on Harry's lap. Now, he was just trying to make it to their nest first. 

The chase didn't take too long, as they were in such tight quarters. Draco was just getting down the hallway when Harry tackled him, his whole weight sending the omega crashing to the ground. Draco hissed, writhing for a second, but when he felt Harry's hardness pressed against his ass he relaxed, melting into the ground. 

Dammit. He did melt. 

Harry picked Draco up in one swoop, kissing at his neck before they could even get to their room. "Mine," he said, deep and throaty, and all Draco could do was whimper. 

Next thing he knew, they were in their nest, and Harry had just finished tearing off his shirt. Draco whined, high and needy, as he tried to get his own clothes off. Harry chuckled and reached down, undoing buttons that Draco's sweaty hands couldn't seem to hold on to. 

"I'm going to take you so good," Harry told Draco once they were both naked, strong hands pushing him into the pillows. "You're mine, Draco Malfoy. After this, I'm going to start calling you Draco Potter." And then, the rut overtook them, and there was no talk for quite the while. 

 

Sixty seven miles away... 

 

Lucius Malfoy strode into the manor, the tip of his silvery green cane tapping against the marble flooring. He'd never looked better, a smirk dancing around the corners of his mouth. A long, sheer cape graced his shoulders, fluttering behind him as he walked with purpose. 

He rounded two corners, hair whipping as he did so, and then walked into the ballroom. Hundreds of high society members mingled there, bowing their heads as he walked by. He ignored them all, passing them by with his chin held high, until he reached the front of the room. 

Tom Riddle sat there next to Narcissa, both of them making polite conversation as they raised fragile glasses of champagne. "Lucius," the Lady Malfoy purred as he arrived, gesturing to an empty chair next to them. "Welcome home, darling. How are you?"

"Quite well," Lucius answered, sitting down and sweeping his cape to the side. "Everything went exactly to plan, Tom. I'd assume that Draco is currently going into his heat, or at least is near to it. The residual fear from my orders will be triggering Potter's dominance early." 

"Amazing," Tom said, lazily sipping his champagne. "We should give them a bit to stew in their own emotions. Now that we've altered their heat cycles, we'll known when our next best chance is."

"Six months, now that they're bonded," Lucius mused, tapping his cane against the floor. "Six months. Well, we have time to prepare. To us, dear friends."

"To us," the other two murmured, raising their glasses. "To us." They took a long sip, and watched the other before Narcissa spoke again. 

"Do you think they've figured it out yet? I mean, Potter isn't dumb. He knows what happened with his parents. Draco, the poor dear, is of course clueless." 

"Potter hasn't told him," Riddle said, with absolute certainty. "Draco would be the only one to crack this puzzle, and I think that Potter wants to stay in their honeymoon phase just a tad longer. We'll know when they make their move." 

"Yes," Lucius said, blinking. His eyes seemed to flash red, for just a second. "We'll know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, random note here. I really wanted the Manor to be farther from Harry's mansion, but they originally rode there in only one day. Sixty seven miles is even stretching it. 
> 
> I hope you guys liked this. Next chapter is going to be a little about the heat, but things are going to be explained more then and in the following chapters. Hopefully the little end scene helped a little with confusion about the last two chapters. 
> 
> Let me know how you're feeling with comments and kudos!!! Comments make me feel quite happy inside <3 hope you all keep enjoying this !


	18. Rut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Draco's first shared rut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update! It's a miracle! 
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so I hope y'all like. 
> 
> Also, warning: pretty much 1000 words of solid smut ahead, so if you don't like that, skip to about halfway through the chapter. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Each line of Draco's body was strung with pure desperation, a wanton need that couldn't be tamped down. He was burning up, every nerve ending smoldering all the way through. There was no coherent thought in his mind, no feeling or urge that wasn't wrapped up in these silky sheets. 

He'd thought that the rut would be frightening, animalistic, but he couldn't have been more wrong. It was still driven by pure instinct, but once rational thought had flown out the window, he and Harry had begun what had to be described as a dance. 

His Alpha's large hand was now wrapped around his neck, pressing him into the bed even as he hitched Draco's hips up to meet his cock. Slick eased the slide, lessened the almost painful friction. 

This had to been the twentieth time they'd coupled in the past two days. Each time was more frantic, building up into a crescendo, until last night it seemed to have peaked. Now, Harry had more control, a steadiness in the way he was spearing his mate. 

The omega was absolutely ruined, his pale skin littered with marks. Bites, trailing up the inside of his thighs, punishing his ass. Hickies, strewn from his chest to his stomach, down his neck, across his collarbone and shoulders. 

Of course, a new mating bite, much deeper than the last. Draco had screamed when Harry bestowed it on him, nails scrabbling across the plane of his mate's back, cock hard like steel. The entire pack had heard it ring through the house. Some of them had relaxed at the sound, for they knew what it meant. 

Through the rut, Draco had been taken on every surface in the room. The bed, the floor, the wall, the desk, against the mirror, the balcony, anywhere that Harry had seen fit to fuck him. 

He'd been knotted three times. It looked like this would be the fourth. Draco could already feel the base swelling, catching on his swollen rim. 

He couldn't get enough of it, this desire, this way that Harry wrapped around him so fervently. They'd become acquainted so intimately, learning every secret about each other. Last night, after the peak, Harry had held him for hours, both of them whispering in the dark even after the Alpha's knot had gone down. 

Harry hissed as he thrust firmly into Draco, locking them together. They both gasped, hot cum shooting deep inside of Draco. He'd become so accustomed to the feeling that it didn't even make him scrunch up his face, as it had the first time. He wouldn't admit it, but now it almost felt good. 

"I want it now," he gasped, words muffled by the way his mate was holding him down. "Harry, please, now." His cock was hard and heavy between his thighs, red and weeping. He didn't even know how it was possible that he was hard again, not with how many times he'd come to orgasm over the course of the rut. 

"Yes," Harry growled. His grip didn't loosen, not at all. Instead he pulled Draco up, making the omega keen loudly. He pulled him back so they were pressed close, chest-to-back, the burning embers of their skin almost too hot to touch. The movement jostled the knot inside of Draco, an unrelenting hardness, and he couldn't help but grind down, making Harry pull roughly at his hair. "Draco," he bit out, relentless. "Do it."

And so the omega tipped his head back, laying it against Harry's shoulder, and turned to begin licking and sucking at his neck. The Alpha wrapped a rough hand around the omega's length as he did so, making him whine. 

The strokes of his hand were firm, and Draco rushed to the brink, gasping against his neck. As he tipped over the edge, he firmed his resolve, and he did it. 

He bit down viciously, his vision whiting out as he did so, his hips stuttering into the air. His teeth broke the skin, and coppery blood spilled across his tongue, the sensation simultaneously thrilling and horrifying. His jaws tightened, making sure the bond formed even as his own cum streaked his stomach. 

Harry roared at the sensation, his hands moving to grip into Draco's thighs, snowy and soft. They were both so far gone. Neither of them had eaten or drank since the rut began, apart from a few sips of water and strips of dried meat that Harry had hand fed Draco. Their hair was tangled and teased, much worse than Draco usually let it get. Harry's wasn't that different than usual. 

As soon as the bond cemented, mundane details like what their hair looked like were completely forgotten. 

A rush of feelings and thoughts washed over them both, the link between their minds finally opening up. They cried out at the same time.

It was so intense that it was almost painful. Colors, tastes, smells, everything was one and the same for an eternity of seconds. Draco could feel a knot at the base of his cock, Harry could feel fingernails digging into his legs. They spoke a few discombobulated words together, out loud, and then they simply couldn't speak. 

Draco lifted his hips and slammed them down onto the knot, choking at the sweet pleasure that bounced from Harry to him and back to Harry. It was the rut, but better, a thousand times better. His mate pushed him back into the mattress swiftly, this time draping himself over him, viciously fucking him on his knot. It was still too swollen to pull out, but the brush on his prostate and the tug on his rim were beautiful, nothing they'd felt before. 

Draco came again, once, twice, before Harry was soft enough to pull out. The Alpha gathered his mate into his arms, fervently kissing along his forehead, his cheeks, his neck, anywhere he could reach. 

"I love you." 

The words rang out so clearly, Harry's voice sure and strong. Draco didn't understand for a moment, as his mate was still kissing him, mouth too occupied to speak. Then, he understood. The bond truly had worked. The myths had been true. 

He burst into tears, diving into Harry and tucking his head right against his neck, breathing in his scent over and over. "I love you too," he thought back, and it was so easy, so natural. He couldn't believe that this was happening. 

He couldn't help but sob, held safe and tight in his nest, Harry murmuring words of praise and affection to him. Life wasn't supposed to turn out like this. Life was supposed to be long, and hard, and impossible. Not sweet and beautiful and kind. 

After what seemed to be forever, his sobs subsided, and he shivered against Harry. The night had turned cold quite suddenly. Harry laughed quietly and picked up and blanket, draping it over the both of them as he laid down with Draco. 

"The rut has broken," Draco heard as he pressed himself as close to Harry as possible. "Sleep, darling. I'll see you in the morning." 

 

The first thing Draco noticed as he woke up was heat on his chest, pressure on his wrists. He moaned quietly as his eyes fluttered open, focusing on the dark-haired head of his Alpha, mouthing down from his neck to his stomach. Harry flashed dark eyes up at him, his hands pinning Draco's to the mattress. 

"I just can't resist you," he growled, lightly biting down, into his midsection. "You look so beautiful all marked up like this, destroyed from the rut." 

Harry, in the light of day, also looked pretty ruined. His mating bite was fresh and angry, standing out across his skin. Draco had clawed up his back and sides, raised red lines ribboning across the Alpha's dark skin. There were also hickies and bites littered across him, although less so than on Draco. 

"Let me take care of you," Harry purred, a hand snaking down to Draco's hips. "I can pay more attention to what you want, now that it's over." 

Draco hummed and tried to sit up, and then cried out and fell back. He was sore all over, every muscle in his body worked beyond their limits. Harry winced, the pain transmitting easily through the bond. "All I want is a good massage," Draco said hoarsely. "And, next heat I want you to knot my mouth, but that's all." 

Harry laughed and crawled back up to lay down next to Draco, carefully pulling the omega into his arms. "I think you'd choke," he murmured, carefully beginning to detangle the ends of his omega's hair. "I'll give you that massage after we get breakfast, alright? For now, I think the rest of the pack may be getting worried."

Food sounded good. Draco traced a finger down Harry's bare chest, and shivered as he felt a shadow of the sensation on his own chest. This bond was much more intense than their last one. It was amazing. He could feel how affectionate Harry was, how exhaustion laid just behind his eyes. Every sense was heightened. 

They could both feel how hungry and thirsty they were. Harry rose first, and they both groaned at the soreness in his arms and legs. He fetched Draco's softest pants, and one of his own shirts, gently easing the omega into them. Then he dressed himself while Draco combed his hair. 

They made their way downstairs gingerly. Draco refused to be carried, telling Harry no before he could even ask. He wanted to show off his new mating bite all by himself, which was part of the reason his hair was pulled into a high bun. 

"Draco," Ginny yelled as soon as they entered the kitchen, grinning ear to ear. "Are you okay? You kind of look like someone beat you up. Oh my god, you both have bites. You double bonded?"

"Hello to you too," Harry groused, beelining for the food. Draco flopped down in a chair, smiling. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were sitting around the table, and each of them leaned in with barely concealed interest to examine Draco's neck. 

"Yes, we're double bonded," Draco confirmed, taking the bacon that Harry handed him. He was absolutely ravenous, thankful that his mate had piled the plate high with with food. After a moment of shoveling food into his mouth, he paused and tried to eat more politely. No reason to be rude if he could control himself. 

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but they were interrupted by Pansy bursting in through the door. "Hey," she said, out of breath. "You need to come outside right now."

Why was there always something going on here? Draco just wanted to eat his breakfast in peace. 

Everyone stood, Draco and Harry wincing at the same time as they did so. "What is it?" Harry asked, all Alpha. Pansy just beckoned for them to follow, and they all did, spilling out onto the front lawn. 

An Alpha stood there, holding a woman in his arms. She had strawberry blonde hair, and as they walked towards the pair, the unmistakable scent of omega reached them. Draco hissed and stopped in his tracks, laying a hand on Harry's arm. It was too soon after their rut to have another omega here, near his mate. 

"Hermione," the Alpha said, sounding desperate. "I'm sorry to show up like this, but you said this was where I could find you, and I didn't know where else to go. A group of Alphas attacked her on my land. I barely got there before it would've been too late, but they yanked her around, and--"

"Neville," Hermione interrupted, stepping forward. "It's alright. If Harry is okay with it, we can take you both in. She'll be fine, I promise."

"Of course you can come in," Harry said, ignoring the way Draco's jealousy jumped higher and higher. "We have enough space, and we can fix her up. Do you know her name?" 

"Luna, I think," Neville said, looking extremely relieved. "Thank you so much, I appreciate it." 

They made their way inside, but Draco grabbed Harry's arm, stopping him. "I don't want another omega here," he said firmly. "I don't--I don't want you to mate anyone else, I'm not going to do well with that. And I know that that's what it means, when another omega comes around, that--"

Harry looked horrified. He pulled Draco close and kissed him, hands tangling in his hair. "I would never mate anyone else," he told his mate fervently. "I know that's how it works in high society, but I don't want any more than one mate, darling. She needs help, and he's Hermione's friend. I'm not going to turn them away."

Draco hesitated, but after a moment he relaxed into Harry. "Alright," he murmured. "But you better bring me the rest of breakfast in bed."

Harry laughed and picked Draco up, ignoring his protests. They headed inside, and spent the rest of the morning back in bed, working around Draco's soreness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you go... more people (possibly) coming to join the pack. I've been trying to fit Luna and Neville in for a while, and this seemed the right way to go about it. 
> 
> Also, I know I said that things with Lucius would be explained more here, but it seemed better to focus on the bond and the smut. 
> 
> This is completely off topic, but if any of you enjoy doing selections, I'm hosting one on @arcadiannebulas on Instagram. If you don't know what that is, don't worry about it, but it should be fun!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading again, y'all. Leave comments and kudos if you're still liking it! This fic has reached way more popularity than I thought it would, with over 30,000 hits, 400 comments, and 1700 kudos. Seriously, from the bottom of my heart, thank you guys.


	19. A New Omega

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco discovers things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... where were we when we last left off?

At first, it was almost unbearably strange to have another omega around.

You see, Draco had never been allowed to be around his kind. Narcissa was always there, but apart from that he’d been surrounded by Alphas and the occasional beta. It was probably a strategy to keep him isolated, to keep his interactions with others closely controlled. In all honesty, it had never really bothered him. There seemed to be bigger things he should care about. 

When he did catch a glimpse of an omega, they were hanging off of their mate’s arm, glancing jealously at the other omegas that were mated to their Alpha. It seemed a horrible life to live, full of strife and conflict. Draco had always tried not to think about how that would eventually be him, forced to dress however some Alpha wanted, dragged along to balls and parties. He didn’t even want to think about how sharing a mate would play havoc on his mental state.

So, when Luna arrived, it didn’t exactly go over well. She was hidden away for several days, apparently healing from whatever the band of rogues had done to her. Draco refused to go near her room, distracting himself with the present members of the pack. Hermione was absent, having taken on the task of nursing the other omega back to health. 

Neville was around too, but Draco resolutely ignored him, focusing his sharp green eyes on Ginny and Blaise. As it turned out, the rut lingered in strange ways, leaving him to deal with waves of lust and exhaustion over the next few weeks. Harry was always there, even as Draco’s annoyances with Luna festered and resulted in some rather grumpy behavior.

When she inevitably came out of her room, it all became worse. If Draco had thought he was uncomfortable with an omega in the house, he nearly couldn’t bear having her walking around. The first time they sat down for dinner and he noticed her attempting to sit on Harry’s other side, he hissed so loudly and ferociously that she scrambled out of the room, retreating somewhere his wrath couldn’t reach. “Draco,” Ginny had exclaimed indignantly, but he levelled her with a glare that sent the entire table silent.

The worst part was that, the first time they were truly face to face, Draco couldn’t hate the girl. She was so frail, dark bags etched deeply into her face, making her cheeks look hollow. Ringlets of gold fell from her head, but they were lank and dirty. She looked like she’d been going through hell, and sympathy began to battle with the anger brewing in his gut.

“Hello,” he said, rather stiffly, hands jammed into his pockets. They’d bumped into each other in a back hallway, one that led outside. He’d just been for a ride with Harry, and was going to take a bath. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, sir Draco,” she lilted, and her voice was so much softer than he’d expected, almost musical in its dulcet tones, “I was just going to try and leave the house for a bit. I haven’t seen the sun since I was brought here. It’s alright, though, you probably don’t want me to.”

Her words gave him pause, and his tone became unsure. “You don’t have to do what I say,” Draco mumbled, running a hand through his platinum hair. It had grown even longer, and now swept across the bottom of his shoulder blades. “And you don’t have to call me sir.”

“But you’re the Alpha mate,” Luna exclaimed, and she wasn’t looking at him at all, her wide eyes drifting to somewhere over his shoulder. “And I’m not even a part of the pack. I’d have to work my way up if I wanted to disobey you.”

Work her way up? That snapped Draco back into his righteous indignation. “Harry doesn’t want another mate,” he snapped, fire behind his eyes as he advanced on the other omega, hands curled into tight fists. “I don’t want you here. If you really wanted to listen to me, you’d fuck out of my life and stop trying to steal the man I love away from me.”

There was a long pause, and then she giggled quietly, a sound that made Draco take a step back, suddenly unsure for the second time. “I don’t want a mate, silly,” she declared, eyes flickering up to his. “It’s obvious that Harry could never take another omega anyway. He’d need to pay them attention, and he couldn’t do that when he’s so obsessed with you.”

This omega was strange. Draco wasn’t sure if he found her attitude offsetting or reassuring. He knew that he was quite in love with Harry, and vice versa, but he’d still seen one too many an Alpha with four mates to really trust Luna. 

“What are you going to do outside?” he finally asked, changing the subject. There was no need to go over the same subject again and again. She would either try to make a move on Harry or she wouldn’t. If she tried the former, she’d quickly find herself with no place to stay. It wasn’t that Draco didn’t trust his mate, it really wasn’t. There was just a lot going on in his head, and he couldn’t explain all of it. 

Luna’s waifish shoulders drew upwards in a shrug, making Draco wince with how skinny she was. “Just feel the wind on my face. Or maybe try and explore the woods a bit, see if I can find any little animals around here that are friendly.”

“You won’t like what you find in the woods,” Draco snorted, momentarily flashing back to a flipping knife and running through cold grass. “I can show you around the gardens, if you’d like.” He surprised even himself with the offer, but Luna nodded eagerly, pushing past him and heading towards the door.

As her arm brushed against his, he got the first proper whiff of her scent, and it sent him reeling. Each component was impossibly easy to pick out. The soft butter of fresh biscuits, pulling him back to a stormy morning spent sheltered in the kitchen. Flowers, waving in the wind, ready to be picked and woven into glossy hair. Melting candles, a long row of them, burning late into the night as a book was eagerly devoured. All of them mixed together were like a wash of comfort, wringing the stress from Draco’s shoulders, a soft sigh dripping from his lips. 

Luna turned back to see why he wasn’t following, and tilted her head to the side. "Yeah, some people say it’s a little overwhelming, sorry.” Draco couldn’t find the words to tell her that it was the last thing she should be apologizing for, but he couldn’t, and blinked a few times before coming back to himself. 

They meandered around the grounds for a long time, Luna pointing out things that Draco hadn’t noticed even after living here for almost a year. She pulled him over to a marble bird bath that was crumbling under the weight of several vines, drawing her fingers through the rusty water collected in the bottom. They trekked over to an old well, peering down to where the chain of the bucket disappeared into darkness. Apparently, there was a lot on the property that he’d never seen before.

“I wonder how long the house has been here,” he murmured as the sky began to darken, glancing to his new partner in exploration. “There’s so many old things scattered around.” Luna hummed thoughtfully, and then reached out, weaving her fingers between Draco’s.

Now to be fair, he was a lot more used to human contact that he had been before, considering how hands-on Harry was and how cuddly the pack was in general, but Luna was still a stranger. He expected himself to freak out at the hand holding, to yank away reflexively. 

For some strange reason, he didn’t. He let her hold his hand, the anger in his gut simmering away. There was no logic behind kicking Luna out, or fearing that she was going to steal away his Alpha. That was all stemming from insecurity, from where he’d been raised. How all the Alphas he’d known had a basic disrespect for human decency, and the omegas had to fight to survive. Here was different, right? No one was going to do that to him in the safety of his home. 

So he held her hand, and she held his, and they looked at each other in recognition that they were partners in this messed up world, that from birth they’d both been dealt a more difficult hand. Draco smiled at her slowly, and she grinned, like she’d known from when they started talking that they were going to end up this way. Friends, or at least on the way to becoming friends. 

He was rudely jerked from his thoughts by several drops of water splattering against the crown of his head, and looked up, seeing clouds gathering above them. “It’s going to storm,” he mused, glancing back to the other omega. 

Luna’s eyes flashed in a way that made it clear she didn’t mind the rain, and she let go of Draco, laughing and spinning around. He snorted, unimpressed, and went to walk indoors. “You’re just starting to get better,” he called out. “Do you really want to get sick again now?”

With a sigh, the blonde spun one last time, and then followed after, her steps much lighter now. Just as they slipped inside the clouds shattered with their weight, and the rain came down in sheets, pooling in the cracks of the land. Luna laughed quietly, and darted ahead in the corridor, her hair floating around her head even as it was weighed down with wet. 

‘We’re going to eat soon,’ resonated through Draco’s head. Harry’s voice was like a warm blanket, rising between his ribs. There was a clear amusement about his tone, like he knew what his mate had been up to all afternoon, that he’d gone back on all of his talk about hating Luna. “We should get to dinner,” the omega spoke, and Luna nodded, arms wrapping around herself in a hug.

The meal was a noisy affair, all of the pack in good spirits, shouldering and teasing each other as they grabbed for food. Neville seemed taken aback, still not used to the dynamic. Draco sat close to Harry, the sides of their arms pressed together, a low rumble of happiness flowing back and forth through their bond. The omega fought for his own meal, pushing aside hands to grab at biscuits, gravy, ladlefuls of mashed potatoes. He even managed to lunge across the table and get a cob of corn, a feat made more impressive by the fact that Ron was trying to get at it at the same time.

“Do all of you really have no manners?” Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, but Draco had already retreated victorious, Harry chuckling as his mate smugly enjoyed the buttered vegetable. Ron rolled his eyes and went for another biscuit instead, spreading a ridiculous amount of gravy on it. It was a filling dinner, raucous as it was, and by the end Draco was curled up against Harry’s side like a cat, hands roaming across his mate’s chest. 

As dinner died down and the pack began to clean up, Pansy made a comment that caught Draco’s attention. “So, Luna,” she began, “are you interested in joining the pack? Finding a mate? There’s a few single Alphas left, you know.” Ginny shouldered the female Alpha with a glare, apparently feeling a little possessive, although Draco hadn’t heard about anything more between the two than a few stolen kisses. 

“No,” Draco spoke up, before Luna could. Harry stiffened, and the omega could feel the fear that he was going to kick Luna out as clearly as if it was his own. “No,” he continued, “none of you are going to get your Alpha scents all over her, got it? She’s mine. Free to join the pack, of course, but I’m insisting on a long courting if anyone is actually interested.” 

There were wide eyed looks from all around at that statement, and a wave of surprise swept through the bond, but Draco simply nodded at Luna, who smiled widely back at him. Hermione laughed quietly, breaking the silence, and both omegas looked at her. “I’m sorry,” she grinned, “it’s just that the books I’ve read have always said that omegas form strong bonds when they get to know each other. I guess I didn’t expect for it to happen so fast with you two.”

Draco rolled his eyes at that, not exactly impressed with the power of books. Sure, they were right most of the time, but did he want to know that others could explain why he did the things he did? No, he did not. That simply came off as creepy. 

Harry wrapped a strong arm around his omega, pulling him to his chest, and then stood, scooping the other up as if he weighed nothing. Draco rolled his eyes for the second time, but nuzzled into the crook of his mate’s neck, breathing in his scent greedily. It was the most potent there, and the whiff he took actually made him feel a bit dizzy, a bit out of sorts. 

“Well, I’m thinking Draco is ready for bed,” Harry announced, looking a bit smug. There was a mixture of groans and whistles from the pack, the most enthusiastic ‘get it!’ coming from Ginny. Neville blushed a deep red, casting his gaze away, and Draco remembered that their public displays of affection weren’t as normal as everyone in the pack acted like they were. It almost made him roll his eyes for the third time. 

“No, no,” he protested as his head cleared, “I want dessert.” Mrs. Weasley had said that it wasn’t going to be ready for another half hour, and that rice pudding was really calling his name. Harry groaned and set him down, obviously disappointed his planned night was being interrupted. Blaise, on the other hand, was quite pleased to get some time with Draco, and snatched him away, bringing him to the library until the pudding was prepared. 

They went to the Draco’s favorite corner, Blaise perching on the wide expanse of the windowsill, the omega settling between his legs. Blaise combed his fingers through his friend’s hair, dividing it into halves, and then halves again, and then halves again. Draco let him braid it into eight long ropes, curling them on top of his head, an intricate bun.

As they sat together, in companionable silence, Draco hummed and let his eyes scan across the books in front of him. Which hadn’t he read yet? There were plays that he had pursued at length, tomes of poems, fantasy novels and history books alike. None were grabbing his interest until he saw a larger book, on the bookshelf right next to them, with gold inlay. 

He reached out and drew it towards him, opening it with no thought for what might be inside. The contents were completely unexpected, for how could he have known what he was delving into? Each turn of the page revealed something he hadn’t been prepared for. It was just pictures, more and more and more and pictures. 

A man that he almost recognized, with his messy black hair and dark skin, peering out at him. The same man with his arm slung around a woman, a woman with striking eyes. Mating bites proudly displayed on their necks. 

As the pictures went on, more people joined them. A man with tousled brown hair, another with stringy black hair grinning and kissing along his neck as the mates from before watched. It was simple, fun, pure happiness floating from the images. 

Except -- as they went on, it wasn’t as happy. Their pack grew, that was obvious. There was one picture where the two mates looked proudly over the entire village, hundreds milling about. Were all of those people one big pack? Draco recognized that village, and knew that it wasn’t under Harry’s control. There was no pack there, not anymore. What had happened?

The captions went from carefully printed to hastily scribbled, penmanship worse and worse. The pictures were blurrier, taken in haste. The man and the woman didn’t look so happy anymore, their faces growing tight and distressed. The two men didn’t look happy either. Towards the end, the black haired one disappeared. The brown one followed after. They went from images of peace to arguments, running, fear.

A little bundle made an appearance right at the end.

And then all of the pages went blank, devastatingly so. Draco, by this time filled with confusion and a mix of emotions he couldn’t identify, flipped through every page, searching for a satisfying end to the story he’d seen. He found none. 

‘Harry,’ he thought firmly, standing up and hugging the book to his chest, ignoring Blaise. ‘I’ve lost my appetite. We need to talk. Now.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for, uh, two months of not writing?
> 
> Actually, I was writing a shitload. So much that I didn't write this! Oops. Here's an update for you, with a promise that I'm not going to wait this long in the future. 
> 
> What do you all think about this chapter? The plot is finally actually progressing! If the scene at the end didn't make sense to you, I can promise that it will with the next chapter. 
> 
> Where do you think this all is going? Tell me below ;)
> 
> Comments and kudos give me writing inspiration!
> 
> Love you all!!


	20. Exposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find everything out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the cryptid emerges!
> 
> Long explanation for my absensce in end notes. I really am sorry. For now, though...
> 
> This is a pretty intense chapter! I'd suggest rereading the last three or four chapters before this one, but if you don't have too much time, try to reread at least chapter 19. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

When Draco appears in Harry's room, it's with a bowl of rice pudding in one hand and the photo album in the other. Mrs. Weasley had accosted him on his way up, telling him that even if he wasn't hungry, there was a decent chance that Harry would be. So, begrudgingly, he took the dessert, even as his mind swirled and doubled back on itself, contemplating everything he'd seen, everything he'd discovered. 

"What is this?" he says softly, brow furrowed as he drops the album onto the bed, crossing his arms. The rice pudding is set on the bedside table, quickly forgotten. He's not mad, not exactly. More hurt that they'd been mated, hell, double bonded, and he hadn't learned about this sooner. Sure, he hadn't asked, but he'd never expected there would be so much history. So much that he'd obviously been kept in the dark about. 

Harry strode over to the bed, eyebrow raised. His expression dropped as he recognized what Draco had found. "It's a photo album," he said, voice tight. "One that a friend of my parents put together, and left with me when I was young."

"I know it's a photo album," Draco frowned, stepping forward and flipping it open. "I mean, what are these pictures? It looks like your parents had an entire pack. A proper one, I mean, so much bigger than ours. How could that all just... go away?"

There was a palpable tension in the room, a feeling between them that reminded Draco of his mother and his father. It was momentarily terrifying. 

But a pang reverberated through their bond, and Draco could feel how much Harry was hurting. It was a nostalgic kind of hurt, like something he'd buried a long, long time ago. Something forgotten, that Draco had dug back up. Forced Harry to face. His chest felt heavy, guilty, and he went to his mate, laying a hand on his chest. 

"I'm not angry," he whispered, even though he knew Harry could already feel that. Sometimes it was nice to get verbal reassurance. "It's just that people have been hiding things from me all my life. My father, my mother, Riddle, even my friends. Please, I don't want to add you to that list."

There was another long pause, and then Harry moved, cupping his hand firmly around the back of Draco's neck. It relaxed the omega almost instantly, making him slump into his mates chest. "I'm not going to hide anything from you," he sighed, massing Draco's neck slowly, soothingly, his other hand on the omega's waist. "I knew from the first day that I brought you here that I'd have to eventually tell you everything. It's just hard for me to talk about. I'm afraid that once you know you'll be angry." 

They ended up sprawled on the bed, Draco nestled between Harry's legs, the photo album opened on the bed sheet beside them. The bun that Blaise worked on so painstakingly was disassembled, Harry stroking his fingers gently through the wavy sheets of hair it left behind. They just needed a few seconds to sit together before they started talking. 

In the Malfoy household - strike that, in the whole world Draco had been a part of before now - no one spoke of things like this. Orphans were given to relatives and told not to remember their parents. Children were introduced to their new brothers and sisters. There were more secrets buried in writing cabinets and private bedrooms than anyone could imagine. 

This was different. It had to be different. Draco had to believe that things in the Potter mansion weren't the same as things in the Malfoy mansion. Harry wasn't Lucius, and he wasn't Narcissa. He was a Potter now. The mark on his neck, and the matching one on Harry's, proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt. 

"I can practically hear your mind racing," his Alpha murmured, smoothing a reassuring hand across Draco's forehead. "You worry too much, my love. I'm just trying to... to reorganize my thoughts. I want to make sure you don't feel I lied to you."

"I can feel how nervous you are," he sighed in response, gently squeezing Harry's leg. Momentarily, he was distracted by the solid muscle there, but he quickly brought his mind back to the topic at hand. "Almost panicky. But there's more. Sadness. I'm just worried for you. I want to hear what this album means." 

Another long pause, and then Harry took a deep breath, and began to speak. "It's the last thing I have of my parents. Almost the only thing. They were, well, pack leaders. As you said, they had a pack that was much bigger than ours. At one point, this estate was simply where they slept and ate. The entire village was a part of the pack."

Draco drew in a surprised breath. He hadn't thought it was that expansive, that everyone living near them might have had some loyalty to the Potter line. "Why aren't they following you now?" he asked, turning to look at his mate. "You're more than capable as an Alpha. You're an amazing leader."

"They still have ties to the Potter line," he admitted. "That's why some of the men came with me when I had to find you, when that rogue pack had you and Hermione cornered. But things happened. They don't follow me that closely anymore."

"Why?"

Draco could feel how Harry had to think to answer that question. They were both so sensitive at this moment, so attuned to each other's feelings, that when he dragged a finger over his mate's thigh he could feel the echo of it on his own. The double bond was so strange in the way it worked, how it fluctuated from situation to situation. 

"When my mother and father met, it was an instant connection. From what I've heard, they seemed the most unlikely couple. He was an Alpha, full of brass and strength, overconfident and cocky at times. And so was she."

Surprise reverberated through the bond, and Draco twisted around to look at his Alpha, eyes wide. Harry laughed, "it's true, it's true! They were both Alphas. She lived in the village, and he lived here, but as a child he always went to play with the other children, and met her. The early years for them were filled with arguments and personality clashes, but they were always drawn to each other. Mrs. Weasley swears that she knew there was chemistry there from the start. Eventually, their banter turned into attraction, and then romance.

"They were mated really young, when my mom was just seventeen. My dad was eighteen, I think. His family was the big Alpha line, the ones that led the village, so it was a big deal when they mated, lots of talk. People weren't sure how it was all going to work, but their ruts synced up, and she got pregnant. I don't think they gave a fuck about what anyone thought. That's what people liked the most about them. They had a few close friends, and then more friends, and then the whole village was united for the first time in many years. A pack. 

"I was born just nine months after their mating. They double bonded on the first rut, apparently. Everything was going really well, but their newfound prosperity attracted attention. Bad attention. Tribes were traditionally only for the rich and powerful, and my parents were neither. Their pack was full of common people, and it was a mix of Alphas, betas, and omegas, all treated equally. One of the most powerful packs in this area caught wind of what they'd formed."

"Who?" Draco asked quietly, his head spinning. He'd never heard of a tribe in high society, and he would've thought it would've been obvious if there was one around. 

Alarm bells went off as Harry cast a tortured glance at him, and there was a surge of guilt through the bond. "What?" he said sharply, "what aren't you telling me?"

"...The pack was led by Marvolo Gaunt, an Alpha. He was mated to a younger omega named Merope. They had a son, and a daughter. It was the biggest pack I've ever heard of, but my mother and father's pack was quickly growing to rival its size. They were afraid that we would become a pack, so Marvolo's second in command urged him to attack us. He agreed it was the safest option. No rabble with the potential to rise against them. 

"They arrived with no warning, Alphas and betas appearing over the horizon in droves. My father tried to rally the forces, but they were too unprepared. Still, they fought fiercely. The packs shredded each other. Neither was left intact when the battlefield cleared. My mother and father... he wanted her to stay behind and watch me, but she was so stubborn. She gave me to Mrs. Weasley, who ran with me and hid in the forest. She's the only reason I survived. They fought together, from what I hear, but... neither of them made it."

Draco's heart hurt, and he wanted to stop and console Harry, but something was off about the story. His mate still felt strange through the bond, his stomach churning. "What happened to the packs?" 

"They were effectively dissolved," Harry sighed. "The villagers were slain en masse, and of Marvolo's pack only half of them were left. Marvolo was killed, and the second in command led what was left of them back to their mansions. The packs never managed to regroup, and no one really thought that they ever would."

"...but?"

"But. Something unexpected happened. Marvolo's daughter, Merope, had disappeared a few years before the fight. Everyone thought she'd been attacked by Marvolo at some point, and she'd either run away or been killed. No one expected to see her back here. But she hadn't. She showed up a year after the battle, with a little boy. She was very sick. She only had time to share his name with the others before she died. When the boy presented as an Alpha, the second in command, who had survived on his fortune all this time, pledged his loyalty to him. He said he would do anything to bring the pack back to glory. There's been rumors, over the years, that he would even mate his child to the son, to help his power."

Draco couldn't breathe. It all made too much sense. 

"What was the son's name?" he managed to get out. 

Harry's eyes were filled with regret. "Thomas Riddle."

His jaw clenched. "And the second in command?" 

"Lucius Malfoy," his mate said, filled with trepidation. 

Briefly, Draco froze, but then he threw himself off the bed, fists clenched in rage. "You - that's why you came to fight for me," he choked out. "You didn't want him to have me, to have that power. You want to rebuild your parents pack, don't you?" 

"No," Harry protested firmly, rising from the bed. "I mean, yes, but we had met before, Draco. I wanted to save you from that. I knew there was no way you could thrive there, that any omega would survive living under Riddle."

"Bullshit," the omega spat, trembling with emotion. "You've been lying to me since I got here. You waited this fucking long to tell me all of this? Why wasn't it the first thing you told me when I got here? Why wasn't I immediately filled in?" 

"You were so angry and resentful already, I didn't know if you'd run away from me, try to go back!"

They both froze as Harry realized that was the worst thing he could've said. "Because you saw me as a pretty little pet to contain," Draco said quietly, each word a piercing dagger. "I couldn't just leave you, I didn't have that freedom. I was something to tame, is that right?"

"Of course not, my love - "

"DON'T!" Draco exploded, slamming his fist against the bedpost. "Don't you fucking dare!" There were tears gathering in the corners of his eyes, and he wiped at them, resolving not to break down. "My whole life, everyone around me has known more about who I am than I have. You knew that. You loved me, and you still kept so much about my identity. You knew it would hurt me." 

"Draco, sit down and let me explain, please," Harry pled, stretching his hands out to the upset omega. "It's all coming out wrong, you know I love you. You can feel it, can't you? I love you more than anything. I was trying to protect you." 

"Of course I know you love me," Draco choked out, turning away from his mate. "That's what makes this so much worse." 

He left the room in a blur of tears and gasping breaths. The pain in his chest was so full and intense, his betrayal and Harry's regret mixing through the bond to make their shared suffering almost unbearable. A loud slam shook the walls as he left, and Draco choked on his own tears as he could feel the ripples of Harry's pain blossoming across his knuckles. The physicality of it almost felt good. 

This place was supposed to be different. Harry wasn't supposed to be like everyone else in the world. He was Draco's perfect mate, the first man that saw him for who he really was. And yet he'd still done this. 

That photo album had been sitting in the library since before Draco had nested in there. It'd been sitting in the library for every moment he'd shared with Harry. Every kiss. Every hug. Every whispered 'I love you'. 

"Draco?" someone said, worried, and he looked up to see Ginny and Pansy, holding hands. "What happened?" Ginny asked, rather taken aback as she took in his red eyes, the tears he was just barely holding back. 

He ignored her, flying at Pansy, angry at her too. "Did you know?" he asked, eyes wild, hands coming to grab at her shirt. "Did you - about the pack, did you -" he couldn't talk, chest heaving, his knuckles still stinging. "About Lucius," he managed to get out. 

"No, what are you talking about? I swear, I didn't know anything," she said, sharing a glance with Ginny, bringing her hands to Draco's shoulders. "What happened, darling? Where's Harry? Is this some sort of rebound from your father grabbing you?"

"No," he barked, pushing himself away from her, wanting her hands off. "I hate him. If he ever comes here again I'm going to kill him, I - he only ever saw me as fucking breeding stock, everything - everyone is lying to me -" 

"Calm down," Luna said softly, and he turned around to see her, flowers woven into her hair, her feet bare and dirty. "I could hear you all the way from the gardens. Why don't you come into my room. We can talk about whatever's happened."

He hovered where he was standing, hands clenched, and she took a few more steps towards him, opening her hands placatingly. A whiff of her perfect scent washed over him, and it was just as good as the first time he'd smelled it. She was trustworthy, he knew she was. Luna wouldn't hurt him. 

"Harry didn't tell me," he said, voice unsteady, and she nodded, extending her hand farther to him. He took it, shoulders slumping, and she drew him away. 

"It'll be alright, Draco. We'll figure it out. You two are so in love, and I believe love always finds a way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, soooo. Where do I start? This winter and spring school was so intense for me. I was honestly struggling mentally to keep my head above water, and I just felt down and depressed all the time. I couldn't bring myself to do my favorite thing, writing. You guys, though, were so great. Between my two breaks you kept commenting, encouraging me to update. It meant so much. As long as people wanted to read this, I always had in the back of my mind that I'd pick it back up. 
> 
> So. Here we are. 
> 
> It's really thanks to you that I wrote this chapter, and I'm so excited to work on this over the summer. Writing is so important and special to me. Thank you so much for your support. 
> 
> Now! Chapter notes!
> 
> I know that it gets a little intense at the end there, and BELIEVE ME, I wanted them to have a civil little discussion and get their problems all worked out. 
> 
> But, come on, let's be honest. That would be the most out of character thing ever. Draco is the most dramatic queen ever, and Harry has no idea how to communicate ever. There's no way he'd have an easy time being like "oh yeah Draco your dad was involved in killing mine, was using you for power, and I knew all that when I was fighting for you to be my mate", unless Draco brought it up first. 
> 
> Also, for the record I know Harry's storytelling is very expositional and narrate-y. I did that kind of on purpose and kind of as a "fuck it" moment. It was this or several chapters of flashback, and in all honesty, I wanted to focus on Harry and Draco, not on Lily and James. 
> 
> But now you guys know the backstory for everything that's happening! Power struggles are the real struggles. Let me know what you think of it, please! 
> 
> Also, anyone have any thoughts about Lily and James both being Alphas? I decided females, no matter Alpha, beta, or omega, and any gender of omegas could get pregnant in this universe. Y'all think I made the right choice assigning them there secondary genders? I just honestly couldn't see either of them as betas or omegas. 
> 
> If you're excited for me to be back, and if you want me to keep on writing, go ahead and leave me comments/kudos! Comments are really appreciated... I'm a bitch that thrives on attention. ;) even a quick copy-and-paste of a line that stood out to you means a lot!! Thanks so much, and expect updates every two weeks now!


	21. The Garden and the Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of work to be done, mainly concerning Draco's feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guys believe I'm actually updating around when I said I would??? 
> 
> Yes, I have written another chapter. I didn't try to stick to a strict schedule of anything, which might be why it was easier to write. It's longer than usual and I'm pretty proud of everything I wrote. 
> 
> Enjoy!

It was hard to be mad at someone when you shared their mind, their emotions, the very essence of who they were. That first night was horrible, Draco getting more and more worked up as his emotions bounced back and forth and reflected everything Harry was feeling. It took a few hours for Luna to calm him down, sitting him on her bed and trying to untangle what had happened. 

Pansy and Blaise eventually joined them, and their combined knowledge of how to talk Draco down from his moods managed to get the omega calm enough by four in the morning. By that time he was able to distinguish between his thoughts and Harry's thoughts, which was nice. Made everything simpler. He explained the story to the three of them through long sighs and yawns. 

"So... your dad and Tom are trying to re-form their pack?" Pansy asked, fiddling with the soft comforter on Luna's bed. "And that pretty much means they want to get you even more now, because you're mated to Harry?" 

"No, no," Blaise interrupted from where he was sprawled across the other side of the bed, feet propped up on the headboard. "They're after Draco because Lucius pledged him to Tom before he was even born, which is an entire other nest of worms. And Harry didn't tell you this?" 

"No," Luna said softly. She was plopped in the middle of all of them, lightly massaging Draco's shoulders. "Harry didn't tell him because he was too afraid of his reaction. I think because he already loved him, even if it they'd only met a couple times. I'm a firm believer in love at first sight."

Draco was just letting his three friends talk over him. Everything felt slightly empty in the calm, his chest hollowed out. The bond was still overactive, but it was mostly just transmitting physical sensations now, not as many emotions. There was still no rhyme or reason to how it worked, how he was feeling from moment to moment. All he knew was that he could barely keep his eyes open now that all the intensity was wearing down. 

"I just wanna sleep," he mumbled, and immediately there were three members of his pack pulling him into a warm pile of comfort and dark. The night had left him so exhausted that he fell into restless sleep in the blink of an eye, tossing and turning for hours. 

When he woke, he didn't remember anything he'd dreamt.

The next day or so was hazy, still a cloud of mixed up emotions that he couldn't even begin to decipher. The last thing that he wanted to do was see Harry, so he spent the time exploring all the old corners of this gigantic house, finding every nook and cranny that he possibly could. He soon discovered it was ridiculously large, even bigger than the Malfoy manor. 

There was an attic, all the way in the top of one of the towers. It was only accessible through some sort of unused room with the windows shuttered up, the only light dim. All it contained was a big bed, covered in dust, delicate spiderwebs suspended between the pillow and the headboard. It looked like perhaps it had been elegant, once, somewhere that long and lazy afternoons could be spent with the one you loved. 

Draco had almost dismissed it as irrelevant and began to turn to leave. Just as he did so, something caught his eye: a long line on the wall opposite him, too straight to be anything natural. There was the smallest bit of light seeping through it, shining on the floor. Curiosity crept up his throat, and he found himself padding across the room. Running his hands over the wall revealed a push-panel, and when pressured was applied to it, it slid in to reveal a handle. 

Narrow steps led up and up, twisting around, making Draco dizzy until he thought maybe he should turn around. Finally they opened up, and he stepped into darkness, stumbling forward until he hit a wall. He spent several minutes groping at the wood until he finally found a window and whipped away the tarp covering it, letting light spill over him. 

The room was so much bigger than he'd expected. Dusty rays of sunlight shone over support rays and creaking floorboards that expanded as far as he could see. His small puddle of light showed there were more windows, and he opened each and every single one of them. There must be an attic like this in every tower, he mused, looking over what he'd found. 

It wasn't much to look at, not at first. After several trips to the library and the linens closet, it was beautiful. His own little paradise. The circular room had been piled with blankets and pillows, and he reclined in it with no small amount of pride, cracking open a new book. It was easier to read than it was to think about Harry. 

Over the next thirty hours there were only a few occasions for which he left the attic. He did need a change of clothes, and waited until he spotted his mate taking a ride with Ron and Ginny to dart back to their room and grab some things. Perhaps he shouldn't have avoided Harry so stringently, but perhaps he shouldn't have hidden his entire past from Draco. He also popped down and stole some biscuits from the kitchen. 

It was nice to be by himself. Being around the pack was too overwhelming right now. Every time he passed one of them he could feel the blanket of unsure trepidation that permeated the household. Everyone was too close to the situation, knew both him and Harry too well to get involved or even to keep up a good conversation. 

Except, perhaps, one person. 

After his long stint in the attic, Draco decided to take a stroll in the gardens. It was midnight, so he wasn't expecting to see anyone else. When he rounded a corner and tripped over someone knelt over a plant he almost had a heart attack. He hit the ground pretty hard, but rolled into a crouch, teeth bared, ready to fight whoever was trying to spy on his pack, his family. 

"Ow -- fuck!" the figure complained, rubbing their back. They turned, and the moon shone over their face, revealing... Neville. The man who had brought them Luna. Draco relaxed the slightest bit, slumping back and sitting down in the grass. 

"What are you doing hiding behind the hedges in my gardens at midnight?" he asked, tone equal parts amusement and accusation. "People can trip over you if you do that, you know." 

The other was bright red, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm so sorry," was the first thing that came out of his mouth. "It's just, um, there's this plant growing here? It's a blooming cereus cactus called the Queen of the Night, which usually wouldn't grow very well here because of all the sun, but luckily it's been growing under this bush here, so it's been getting just the right amount of light and water."

Was he supposed to understand what all of that meant? Draco looked at Neville blankly, then gestured to the little white flower. "How exactly does that explain why you're lurking in the dark?" 

"Oh, oh. It only blooms at night, and very rarely! I saw it a few weeks ago, just when I got here, and it looked like maybe it was going to bloom soon, so I've been checking on it every night since then." Neville paused, rubbing at the back of his neck, looking as if he regretted the decision to come out on this particular night. "I just, um, sleep during the day. I was waiting for Luna to be ready to leave, but she doesn't seem to want to. And you're all so busy. I don't want to intrude." 

A pang of guilt shot through Draco as he remembered his first few days at the mansion. Everyone had been so kind to him, always making sure he had a friend. It had been nice. Until he got his heat. That was against the point, though. He was supposed to be a leader of this pack, and he'd left Neville to flounder. 

"So, is it pretty when it blooms?" he asked, settling down, weaving his arms around his knees. Neville looked surprised, but nodded quickly, and launched into an explanation of exactly how and why this was such an important flower. 

Usually this stuff would be boring to Draco. The way that Neville talked about it, though, made every stage of the flowers life seem riveting. They talked (well, Draco mostly listened,) for hours. By the time the sun rose they had strolled all amongst the garden. The omega was fairly sure he knew more about shrubbery than anyone needed to know, and he was looking forward to boring Pansy and Blaise with hours of his new knowledge. 

"You must be tired," he said when Neville yawned for the fifth time. It had been clear for at least a half hour that the other man had been struggling to stay awake for his sake. "Why don't you go inside and get breakfast? I'm just going to go for a little walk." 

They parted after another few minutes, Neville going to his bed and Draco heading into the forest. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, sending pink and orange ribbons of light weaving between the trees. Birds sang above, doing their best to wake every other living creature. Draco should've been exhausted, but he wasn't. He was more awake than he'd been in years. 

The grass was wet with morning dew, little shining tears adorning every stalk. He followed the path that Harry had shown him that very first week, after he'd finally accepted that maybe his mate wasn't a monster and they'd gone riding. This time around he noticed so much more. 

Little daisies and dandelions poked up from the dirt, looking up at him with smiles on their faces. Everything about the forest in the morning was calm, peaceful. A moth rested on a branch near Draco, lazily flapping it's wings as it woke up. Three rabbits darted across the pressed dirt of the trail, one pausing to flick an ear at the human traipsing through their home before continuing on. 

For the first time since their fight the bond felt normal. There were no more shadowy touches against his hands, no more ghost tears on his cheeks. The emotional side of it wasn't too intense either, just the standard current of communication they'd come to expect. Harry was still asleep, Draco could tell that much. There was a special feeling when his lover was deeply dreaming, a warmth around his heart. 

Being alone had served him well, he mused, striding along, taking deep breaths of the crisp air. It would've been a lot worse if Harry had tried to talk to him, or if he'd tried to reach out across the bond. It'd been just about two days since their fight, three nights. Up until this very moment it was an insurmountable mountain of tangled problems, but now Draco was ready to think about it. 

He walked for a long time, hands clasped behind his back, deep in memories. He remembered the very first time he'd met Harry. They were just little kids, both sitting in the same little primary school. Their teacher was a real bastard, with that oily hair and greasy frown. Draco was still sure he'd hated children. Their uniform had been so classic, plaid shorts and a white button down that must've looked ridiculous on six year olds. 

Neither of them had known anything of the world. They'd fought like it was their job, always following each other around and trying to get the other in trouble. Even then they were obsessed with each other. There'd been a connection. 

Then, thirteen years later, Draco saw Harry again. Those muscles, that hair, his dark smile... if he hadn't been so afraid of the Auction he might've been able to admit that he was attracted to him. 

Those arms that had wrapped around him in the courtyard. Those arms that had comforted him so often since then. That scent that had immediately drawn him in. That scent that was draped around him even now, so much a part of him that it would take years apart to totally work it out of his system. 

Harry had always protected him. It was sort of his thing. Draco fell into trouble and Harry pulled him out of it, greeted him with a smile. It wasn't just the Auction, or the Alpha gang, or Lucius. 

It was his entire life. Draco had been in trouble for years, and Harry had gotten him out of it, even though he'd fought him tooth and nail. It was hard to accept that, but it was true. His old society had been a poisonous place, such that it took women like Narcissa and turned them into obedient little omegas. There was only way that Draco could've escaped a future that would've mirrored his mother's. 

Harry. He was so rare. He cared about Draco as a person, as a soul, not just as a warm body to fuck and hold. Not that he didn't like being fucked and held by his mate, he did. Just. He knew that Harry would love him even if he banned him from ever touching him again. People like that were nearly impossible to find. 

Yet Draco was practically surrounded by them. All the members of his pack. He kept finding more and more, like Neville. Hell, Ron had found him in heat and hadn't even thought of taking advantage of him. Somehow he was being given the gift of true friends. He was loved. 

By the time Draco had truly and utterly exhausted his thoughts on this, he'd arrived at the pool of water that, so long ago, he'd swam in with Harry. The little waterfall was still crashing into it, spreading ripples across its glass surface, and it just looked so perfect. He wasn't ready to go back to the mansion. 

It was too easy to strip off his shirt and his pants, wading into the water in just his boxers, ducking under and holding his breath. Water streamed down his face as he broke the surface, using both his hands to push back his hair. God, it felt so good. He pushed back, floating, looking up at the sky, inhaling deeply. 

He swam for at least a half hour, losing himself in trying to sneak up on the schools of minnows that collected in the pond. Every time was a miserable failure, and he didn't catch even one, but by the end he was smiling. 

The sun was pretty high in the sky as he clambered out, suddenly feeling tired. It seemed working out all of his emotional issues was exhausting. There seemed no good reason not to nap there, so he did, sprawling out against the grass. It was still wet with dew, but he was soaking, so it didn't matter much. 

Alas, his nap was not fated to last long. Just as he was drifting into sleep, panic shot through him, practically electrifying him. He sat up with a sharp breath, clutching at his chest. It was Harry's fear, not his, but he couldn't tell why. Maybe something was wrong at the house, maybe one of the pack members had been hurt, there were too many possibilities of things that could be wrong. He began to wrestle his clothes on, deeply regretting that he hadn't ridden here instead of walking. 

Just as he stood, ready to run back home, the clattering of hooves reached his ears. Harry rode into the clearing, eyes wild, looking terrified. Draco had to stumble backwards as to avoid his horse, hands stretched out in front of himself. 

"What's wrong?" he said quickly, running to Harry as soon as he dismounted. "Is someone hurt? Are you alright?" 

"No, no," the other said, a little out of breath. "I didn't -- I'm sorry. It was just that -- Neville told me you'd gone in the forest alone. For some reason, all I could think of was Fenrir, and I panicked, and I just had to come find you. I'm sorry, I know you're probably still angry, and I've been a real git, I know --" 

They were kissing before Harry could even finish his apology, Draco's fingers curled around his collar, dragging him into an affectionately bruising embrace. It felt so fucking good to just kiss his mate, to tangle his hands in the others stupidly messy hair and take what he knew was his. 

They broke away from each other when they couldn't breathe, Harry's hands securely on Draco's waist, the Alpha smiling a bit bemusedly. "Are you, er, not mad anymore?"

"I forgive you," he nodded, reaching up to gently touch his mate's cheek. "It took me some time to understand, but I know you were trying to protect me. And you're right, if you'd told me earlier I might've done something stupid." 

"Still, I should've tried to figure out a way to tell you," Harry said, glancing away from Draco. He could feel the guilt across the bond, the rolling tide of emotions that his Alpha just couldn't keep tied down. "I knew everything about you. You should've had that same privilege." 

"No. It was so hard for you, I can feel it. I'm just glad I know now."

"God, I fucking love you," Harry murmured, and they gazed at each other fondly before diving into another kiss, this one sweeter and slower than before. Then, the Alpha pulled away for the second time, tilting his head to the side. "Darling, why are you soaking wet? Were you swimming?" 

Draco laughed, practically bubbling with happiness, and pushed lightly at Harry's chest. "Yes, idiot. I've been wet since you showed up." 

His Alpha paused, and then grinned deviously, waggling his eyebrows. "I can make you more wet, if you want." 

Well, Draco certainly liked where the morning was heading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... who thinks we should have some smut next chapter? 
> 
> All in all I'm so happy with how this chapter turned out. For the record, I know basically nothing about plants, so if there's any botanists out there thinking there's no way this plant lives in Harry's garden, just let me know. Honestly, I just think it's pretty. Also for the record, this chapter was checked over pretty fast because I was so pumped to post it, so if there's spelling mistakes please don't crucify me. 
> 
> I'm super excited to be working on this fic again!! My goal has been to make it longer than the first HP book (70k-ish words) but now I might be aiming for 100k... who knows. Originally this was supposed to be a 12 chapter fic only. How far we've come. 
> 
> Soon we'll be seeing a couple expansions of the pack!! Drop some comments detailing who you want to see and I'll see what I can do. Also, Ginny and Pansy will hopefully be getting more relationship development. It's been a long time coming. 
> 
> If you're enjoying this fic, go ahead and leave comments and kudos!! All the comments last chapter were so amazing and really motivated me to write this one. There were a lot that said "I finished this in one go and now it's 3 AM", which just.. Dear lord. Please get some sleep, loves. Still, I deeply appreciate every comment. Even just pointing out a line or two that you liked means so much!! 
> 
> See y'all soon.


	22. Their Little Pond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of make up sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> I really love this chapter, and I hope you guys end up liking it too. Be warned though, smut ahead!

A small pile of clothes lay next to the pond, the garments having been carelessly discarded in a moment of passion. Their owners splashed a few feet away, chasing each other through the warm shallows. An aura of peace had settled over the clearing. You wouldn’t know it from how rambunctious the two lovers were being, but they both felt rather calm inside. There was a certain ecstasy that came with resolving a fight between doubly bonded mates.

“Have you lost some of your speed, Alpha?” teased Draco, just barely evading Harry’s grasp, ducking back and under the water. In reality, it wasn’t that Harry had slowed down. It was just that after months of living here, doing chores and working harder than he ever had before, Draco had gained muscle.

When Harry did manage to nab him, it was a wiry sort of strength he felt under his palm. When Draco had arrived he’d looked almost unnervingly skinny, and then he’d gained enough weight to grace his sharp edges with soft curves of fat. Now he was somewhere in the middle, all curves with no accompanying plush. 

“Do you like it?” Draco asked quietly, having surmised the direction his mate’s thoughts were going. His new body was sometimes a little unnerving, but it was something he had worked for, something no one else had shaped or even commented on. For the first time, it felt his own. 

There was no answering that question, at least not with words. Harry scoffed as he drew Draco close to his chest and claimed his mouth with a kiss. ‘You have never been more beautiful than you are now,’ he thought, running his free hand down Draco’s stomach, and could practically feel the tension seeping out from his mate. 

It only lasted for a single sweet second before Draco pulled away, flashing a devil’s smirk as he freed himself from Harry’s grasp. “You’ll have to try harder than that to catch me,” he declared, and was underwater before Harry could roll his eyes. 

They played their game of cat and mouse for a few more minutes, until Draco had gotten Harry properly riled up. Each time he evaded him he’d leave a teasing touch: a stroke across his thigh, a tweak of his nipple, a hand on his ass. They were both hard when Draco ducked underneath the waterfall and surfaced only to find himself cornered, Harry’s broad shoulders blocking any way out. 

“You’re not getting away from me this time,” Harry said lowly, bracketing him in against the wall with two strong arms. “Right little tease, aren’t you?”

“You love it,” Draco breathed, his hands coming to rest on Harry’s chest, one traveling up to caress over the bite mark, scar tissue he’d so lovingly bestowed. Then, with a little grin, looking up coyly, “why don’t you do something about the teasing? If it’s bothering you so much, I mean.”

They met in a clash of pent-up desperation, slick skin meeting slick skin, tongues battling for dominance in a fierce kiss. Harry wrapped his hand around Draco’s cock and the omega cried out into his mouth, fervently arching into his touch. If they hadn’t been waist deep in water Draco would’ve been able to feel the slick dripping out of him, but as it was he just had to trust that his body was performing as expected. 

He didn’t have to beg out loud when Harry already knew what he wanted, when they both knew he could feel it through their bond, but he did it anyways. “Please, fuck me,” he gasped out, tangling his hands in Harry’s hair, “I need it. Need you.”

Harry growled at that, hoisting Draco’s thighs around his waist, and then fucked into him without any preamble. It hurt a little, the burn of an Alpha’s cock, but all the pain did was draw an obscene moan from somewhere deep in Draco’s chest. 

They fucked there, against the wall of rock, hard thrusts forcing Draco into a lust-driven submission. By the time Harry knotted him he was all whimpery moans, neck bared in an attempt to get his mate to give him what he needed. His cock was still as hard as when they had started, even harder, red and almost throbbing between his legs. He was tempted to bring a hand to it himself, but something through the bond told him that Harry wanted him just like this. Panting, needy, writhing on his knot. 

When Draco met Harry’s eyes he saw something desperate and dark in them, and he was pulled forward into another kiss. “I want all of you,” Harry murmured, his words ringing with the command of a true Alpha. He moved to leaving stinging little bites all along Draco’s lower lip, listening to the sweet sounds they pulled out of his mate. “Want to see you just like this, my love. All for me.”

And then he was fucking Draco on his knot, setting a bruising pace that had the omega practically screaming. It was pleasure unlike anything he’d felt before, pleasure mixed with pain mixed with overstimulation and desperation. Harry’s knot pushed right up against all of the good spots inside of him, battering against them unmercifully until --

He came with a shout of ‘Harry’, cum splattering all over his chest and stomach, cock completely untouched. It was almost a religious experience, leaving his thighs trembling where they were wrapped around Harry’s waist. 

He was brought out of it when he felt teeth gently clamping down over his mating bite, the sensation making his spent cock twitch. “So good for me,” Harry said, and his voice sounded wrecked, all raspy and deep. “I love you so much, Draco.”

It took a second for Draco to catch his breath, still shaking with the force of his orgasm. When he tried to respond it was mumbly and discombobulated, a mixed up string of words that made Harry quietly chuckle. The laughter jostled Draco, making him rub up against the knot inside him, a little gasp wrenched from his lips. The soft sound had Harry’s eyes blown again, lust returning in full force. 

As soon as Harry’s knot slipped out of Draco the omega was moving, trying to start up their little game of chase again. His orgasm had left him a little slower though, his limbs feeling relaxed and sluggish. Harry scooped him up and out of the water before he’d even made it three feet. 

“Not fair,” Draco sighed, wrapping his legs around Harry’s waist once again, pressing wet kisses against his mate’s mouth as he let him carry him to shore. “You get me all fucked out so you can catch me, hmm?”

Again he only got a smile in response, a smirk as he was lowered down, back pressed flush against the cool grass. It scraped against his skin in such a way to make him shiver. Before he knew it, Harry was hitching his legs up, setting his knees against his broad shoulders, baring his rather swollen hole to the cool air. That earned him another shiver. 

Draco had had an inkling of Harry’s plans, but he still moaned in surprise when he felt a tongue swipe broadly across his hole. It was so hot, and so debauched, and Harry had to wrap each of his large hands around Draco’s hips to keep him still. 

Harry ate his own cum out of his mate’s ass with such vigor that Draco got hard again, twisting and cursing against the eager onslaught. Every lap of Harry’s tongue was pure torturous pleasure, drawing the most obscene noises into the forest air. 

And when Harry rose up -- let Draco’s legs fall down, positioned himself between them, sucked a dark hickey into Draco’s pale neck -- he thrust into his mate in one smooth movement. There, in the grass of their clearing, they made love. It was different from the fervor of before. This time was slow, smooth, both of them completely and utterly focused on each other. Draco knew where to touch Harry before Harry even knew. He bit down on Harry’s mating bite with a loving sort of care, felt how it made his cock twitch inside of him. ‘You are my everything,’ he thought, and a rush of love and endearment swamped both of them. They came in a rush of the purest affection. 

Afterwards, Harry pulled him back to the water and they washed the dirt off of each other. They were both tired out, although whether it was by their emotional reconciliation or vigorous rounds of sex, neither knew. Probably both. 

Even the pack bond felt better now. It wasn’t as tense and tightly wound as it had been yesterday. Most likely the other members already knew that the two of them had made up. Most likely, they also knew exactly what Harry and Draco had gotten up to after they made up. The thought brought a little pink to Draco’s cheeks, but in all honesty he wasn’t as embarrassed about that sort of thing as he used to be. 

Harry smoothed Draco’s hair away from his face, bringing him back to the present. “Are you feeling alright?” he asked, a little wrinkle of concern between his brows. “I was a little rough on you that first time around.”

“I’m better than alright,” Draco answered, rising up on his tiptoes to press a light kiss to Harry’s nose. “I’ll be better than alright forever if you never hide anything like that from me again.”

Guilt rose between the bond, guilt that made Draco realize truly how bad Harry felt about their fight. “I won’t,” he whispered. “Promise.”

They lounged in the water for a few more minutes, then picked themselves up, got dressed, and returned to Harry’s horse. Draco had, of course, walked out to the pond, so he let Harry pull him up and place him right between his legs. There was something so comforting about leaning back against his mate, feeling his warmth and solidity through a thin layer of cotton. That, coupled with all the reassurance and pure love he was currently being buried with through the bond, had him smiling and snuggling into Harry. 

Ron was in the stables when they arrived, brushing down a grey mare. He didn’t raise an eyebrow at the way they were pressed together, confirming Draco’s earlier suspicions. In fact, he didn't say anything until they’d both dismounted. 

“Just so you know,” he said, tone as casual as he could make it, “Ginny and Pansy are.... being rather loud. Inside.”

Loud? What did he mean, loud? Draco was immediately afraid they were fighting, but that didn’t seem to be what Ron meant. Were they --

Ohhh. Not fighting, then. 

“I was wondering when they’d get around to it,” Harry said, turning to tie his horse up. “Took them long enough. Why’d they choose right now to do it?”

“Probably because you two made up,” Ron shrugged, cheeks red. “I could feel it pretty strongly. Well, we all could. Hermione got a little randy too, but I had some chores to do, so I told her later… and I really couldn’t get it up hearing my sister like that, if I’m being honest. They’re in Pansy’s room, I think.”

“Pansy’s rut is coming up in a few weeks,” Draco said. “She’s probably already feeling a little, er, randy. I’m glad for them, though.” Then, seeing how desperate Ron was for a change in subject, “where’s everyone else?”

“Luna, Neville, and Blaise are in the garden, Hermione’s reading, and Mom is getting lunch ready.”

“You should eat,” Harry murmured, coming up from behind Draco and wrapping his arms around him. “You feel hungry. How much have you had since we’ve been fighting?”

“Oh, you know, a couple of biscuits,” Draco winced, an admission which earned him widened eyes from both Harry and Ron, and a light slap at his ass. 

“We’re going to the kitchen right now,” Harry declared, scooping Draco up into his arms again, making his mate laugh and lightly protest. “No, no, I won’t hear it. Let’s get some steak into your stomach.”

Draco grinned mischievously and leaned in, right next to Harry’s ear, and said (low enough that Ron couldn’t hear), “but you’ve already filled me so full up today, Alpha. How much more stuffed could I be?”

That earned him a rather ferocious kiss, Harry’s hand tangling in his hair. “I guess we’ll have to see after you eat, won’t we?” he growled. 

And with that tantalizing promise they set off, both of them smiling, feeling better than they had in days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so...
> 
> I had planned to get this chapter up at a '''normal''' time, but my laptop broke, and by the time I got it fixed I'd already started college. Which, by the way guys, is ABSOLUTELY CRAZY. I've never been busier. But I carved out some time this weekend to bust this chapter out, and I really think it turned out well!
> 
> This chapter is definitely some more reconciliation for Harry and Draco, a way that they're getting over their fight. Apologies are all fun and good, but I think there's something physical both between them and in their bond that makes them want some skin-to-skin to really feel better. 
> 
> Also: Ginny and Pansy! Finally official, and maybe mates after Pansy's rut? Who knows... do you guys want that? Also, would anyone be interested if I wrote a little one off about their relationship? Maybe smut, maybe not, who knows. 
> 
> Just curious: where do you all think the plot is going after this? I'm wondering how transparent I've been with foreshadowing. 
> 
> I'm going to try to keep up with writing, although now that I'm in college it might be a little harder. If you want me to be motivated, leave lots of comments and kudos! They really do fuel me. Thanks to everyone who left comments in the past two months encouraging me to keep writing!!! 
> 
> Love you all so much <3


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